


If I Never See Your Face Again

by casliyn



Category: Veep (TV)
Genre: Absent Parents, Daddy Issues, Developing Relationship, F/M, Future Fic, Gen, Season Seven AU, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-24
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2020-01-23 15:32:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 158,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18552622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/casliyn/pseuds/casliyn
Summary: In which Amy keeps the baby, leaves Dan and lives her best life without looking back.And Dan loses Amy, doesn't live his best life and tries to get Amy back.Season 7!AU and Future!Fic





	1. Hand In My Pocket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had a nice house in the heart of DC that stood three stories tall, the newest model of the Lexus that practically had a waiting list for those who wanted it, a wardrobe to die for and her daughter right by her side, just like she should be. 
> 
> She's never been one to care about the materialistic things in all honesty if anything she always rolled her eyes whenever she came across those high and mighty assholes who prided themselves with the designer tags that covered their body. 
> 
> But, she didn't hate the feeling of power she felt whenever she slid on her favorite creme white Chanel patterned dress or even her favorite pair of Louboutin heels that she managed to snag on her last business trip to California a few weeks back. 
> 
> It's funny how good an article of clothing can make you feel though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> So, after the craziness that was the first three episodes of this season, my Tumblr inbox was filled to the brim of people requesting me to write an AU of some sorts where Amy still has Meagan. Not gonna lie, I've been taking out my frustrations of this season into my writing so, that can explain some of the creative decisions I took with this story.
> 
> For the sake of this story seeming a tad bit more real, for the role of Chris, picture Chris Pine (Because hello, it's Chris Pine) and also that's who I based the character off of. 
> 
> Regardless, please enjoy this story and remember to let me know what you think about it!

 

> **_And what it all boils down to_ **
> 
>   
>  **_Is that no one's really got it figured out just yet_ **
> 
>   
>  **_I've got one hand in my pocket_ **
> 
>   
>  **_And the other one is playing the piano_ **
> 
>  
> 
> _-Alanis Morissette, 'Hand In My Pocket'_
> 
>  
> 
> * * *

 

 

Amy likes her life now. 

 

Well, it's about fucking time at least. Thanks to her dull childhood along with the last three treacherous years as a member of the Meyer administration, she was happy to be in a completely normal yet stable job where she had the power she deserved ages ago.

 

She had a nice house in the heart of DC that stood three stories tall, the newest model of the Lexus that practically had a waiting list for those who wanted it, a wardrobe to die for and her daughter right by her side, just like she should be. 

 

She's never been one to care about the materialistic things in all honesty if anything she always rolled her eyes whenever she came across those high and mighty assholes who prided themselves with the designer tags that covered their body. 

 

But, she didn't hate the feeling of power she felt whenever she slid on her favorite creme white Chanel patterned dress or even her favorite pair of Louboutin heels that she managed to snag on her last business trip to California a few weeks back. 

 

It's funny how good an article of clothing can make you feel though.

 

"You look good." she hears a familiar voice call from behind the minute she steps out of the shower and wraps her body in a white towel.

 

Ha. That too.

 

She looks at her reflection in the mirror and smiles to herself as she watches the shirtless man approaches her from behind and wraps his arms around Amy's small frame.

 

"You look good too." Amy picks up her comb and begins to go through her wet locks.

 

He smiles at her as he places a kiss on the crook of her neck and strides away from her with a smirk that's all suave and irresistible morning charm that Amy always has a hard time denying.

 

Did she mention she had the man too? 

 

That was probably her favorite piece of the puzzle (Besides Meagan and her job of course). Being in a relationship where the man had eyes for her and only her, and allowed her to be herself without judgment. 

 

Along with the fact that his skills in the bedroom were quite exceptional if she does say so herself.

 

She had met Chris Blake four years ago in the hallway of the West Wing when Teddy had made the executive decision to bring on a former CNN talk show commentator who was well respected in the United States to help Jonah's image a tad bit, taking over the position as the lead Media Consultant. 

 

It took them about thirty minutes of instant flirting for Amy to lock them in her office and fuck him in her private bathroom (And thank the lord for that because the pornstar-esque noises she made was not only inhumane but severely embarrassing). Then after a few dates, Amy was madly head over heels for the guy.

 

Fortunately for her, he was head over heels for her as well. And from then on, they've been together since.

 

"Good enough for you to come back and do that one thing again?" he rests his chin on her shoulders and looks in her eyes through the mirror.

 

She smirks to herself, knowing good and well exactly what he's referring to and she doesn't exactly blame him. 

 

Then her phone beeps and it brings her back to reality, forcing her to tear her eyes away from Chris and back into reality, she still is one of the sharpest minds of DC and just because her hot boyfriend wanted to have sex again doesn't mean she could put off work. 

 

And from the tone of Teddy's email, she can tell that Jonah's latest fuck-up is a level 5 (And it's not terrible by any means but now since the Jolly Green Jizz-Face was the President of the United fucking States, a 5 is basically a 10 at this point).

 

She turns in his arms and faces him head-on, trying to avoid his shirtless body as best as she can.

 

"Duty calls." she gives him a sad sigh, "Our leader of the free world has managed to fuck up yet again overnight." she types a response back to Teddy basically confirming that Chris can go on a show tonight and address the media head-on.

 

She shuts off her phone and places it back on the counter to begin the process of getting dressed.

 

"Want me to take Meagan to school today?" he offers as she rifles through her closet and notices her sheer black longsleeved bodycon dress and debates on whether it'll go well with her red heels or yellow flats. 

 

"Could you please?" she removes the dress from the clothing rack and makes her way to her underwear drawer and pulls out a matching black bra with a black thong.

 

Chris nods earnestly at that and sends a quick text off to which she presumes to be work-related and returns in preparing for the day.

 

Once she finishes drying herself off with the towel, she slides on her bra and underwear, preparing to slide on her dress but from the way Chris looks at her, she can tell he has other plans. 

 

She opens her mouth to protest because really, she's gotta get to work and drop off her kid at school before she's late but, for some strange reason, Chris is looking really, really good and she hasn't found her tolerance to deal with the day yet. 

 

"Let me pay you back for last night," he whispers against her ear and bites down gently, sending a shock through her bloodstream.

 

 _"Chris._ " her voice does that schoolgirl giggle she hates doing because it makes her sound like a prepubescent teenage girl. "I have to go to work." she protests with a small voice.

 

Chris's hands roam down her bare body and his hands stop at her hips and plays with the material of her thong.

 

She turns in his arms and looks him up and down all while licking her lips.

 

He did look good and he knew that he did. And like she mentioned, her tolerance for the day hasn't exactly kicked into full gear yet so, maybe just maybe..a little oral sex from her boyfriend would help wake her up this morning.

 

"No more than five minutes," she warns with a stern finger as Chris nods with a lick of his lips as he lifts her into his arms and carries her over to her master bedroom.

 

"Yeah, yeah." he cranes his neck and kisses his way up her neck, taking time to suck and nibble on that one part of her neck that drives her absolutely crazy. 

 

 She stifles back a moan, remembering that Meagan's alarm clock should've gone off by now and she should be heading to the shower at any moment and Amy figures that gives them a good fifteen minutes of not being interrupted so, she shuts off her Mom mode and goes into Girlfriend mode for the next few minutes.

 

And boy does it feel fucking good.

 

* * *

 

 Amy's really never been one to cook.

 

Even though she had Meagan, she wasn't downloading fucking Buzzfeed recipes to be Becky Homemaker at all times. If anything, she just bought stuff and hoped for the best and she's proud to say that it still works.

 

Luckily, now that Meagan is fourteen, she knows a thing or two about cooking so Amy never has to rely too much on her limited set of cooking skills to keep her daughter well fed.

 

"We ran out of cereal." Meagan declares from her seat on top of the kitchen counter as she kicks her legs out from under over and over again.

 

Fuck, she knew that she forgot something the last time she went to the store.

 

Amy clicks her tongue as she enters the kitchen, balancing a set of files in her hands. 

 

"Make yourself some eggs," Amy suggests

 

"We're out." Meagan texts on her phone unimpressed with the conversation and not looking up for one second.

 

"Poptarts?" Amy begins to finger through the documents in the manila folder labeled 'November Polling Data'.

 

"Out," Meagan responds

 

"Smoothie?" Amy finally looks up from the folder and over to Meagan who simply rolls her eyes as she puts her phone on the counter. 

 

"You drank the last one _yesterday_ because you insisted on not having Breakfast," Meagan states matter-of-factly in that tone that makes Amy want to roll her eyes in response. 

 

God, life was just a tad bit easier when all Meagan cared about was whatever brainless cartoon she cared about so much was on the television and she couldn't form her words into smart-ass sentences that made Amy question everything she's done in a moments notice. 

 

"Just wait till you get to school." Amy suggests making her way over to the coffee maker and pouring herself a cup of coffee, "They serve Breakfast there don't they?" 

 

Meagan groans dramatically and throws her blonde hair behind her back, " _Or,_ I can go to the cafe down the street from my school and just order something from there." she suggests as she removes herself from the counter and gives Amy a mischevious smirk.

 

Amy snorts at that as she shuts off the machine and gives her daughter a pointed look.

 

"Are you seriously considering dumping your allowance on that overly priced minimalistic infused cafe?" she arches an eyebrow at her daughter. 

 

"Grandma gave me money. It's no big deal." she shrugs her shoulders and tilts her head to the side, her Amy-like eyes going wide, "Please? I'm _starving."_ she fans herself dramatically as Amy chuckles at her daughter and takes a sip of her coffee. 

 

"If Chris agrees to stop by the cafe on your way to school then, by all means, be my guest." she kisses the top of Meagan's head and manages to wipe off the small leftover smudges of her lipstick.

 

Meagan smiles to herself and lifts her backpack from the ground and places it on the counter before Amy has the chance to scold her about leaving her things on the ground. 

 

"What's your plan today?" she takes a seat on the barstool and puts her chin in the palm of her hand as she watches Amy strut through the kitchen beginning to make note of how much shit she needs to get from the grocery store. 

 

(Translation: What she needs to tell her assistant, Madelyn to get from the grocery store while she's at work)

 

"Go to work, put out the fire that is our President of The United States, have a meeting with Michelle York about her possibly joining the team so it's not a dick club and I should be home around seven." 

 

"So Grandma's picking me up from practice?" Meagan questions as she picks up her phone.

 

Amy nods as she takes a sip of her coffee and winces at the heat for a brief second, "She'll pick you up and bring you back home then we can order a Pizza and watch whatever the hell it is you want to watch tonight." she points a finger at the girl who gives her a bright smile.

 

Motherhood was hard as shit.

 

But whenever Meagan looked up at her with those big chocolate brown eyes and smiled at her, it gives her a feeling of accomplishment. That for the first time in her life, she perfected something and would do her absolute hardest to protect it no matter what. 

 

"Can we watch 'Bridesmaids'?" she suggests as she plays with the buttons of her jean jacket.

 

Amy looks up from the folders with an arched eyebrow, _"No."_  she gives a slight chuckle and rolls her eyes.

 

Meagan's jaw drops dramatically, "Why not? It's not like I haven't seen it before." 

 

Wait, what?

 

"Who'd you see 'Bridesmaids' with?" she eyes her daughter up and down suspiciously

 

"With Giselle and Taylor," she mentions her older cousins like it's no big deal and Amy has no energy or tolerance to scold her child for seeing an R-Rated movie with her almost legal cousins.

 

"Ugh, whatever." she rolls her eyes and focuses back in on the brightly colored pie-charts printed on the pieces of paper.

 

Meagan takes a sip of her water and shrugs her shoulders, "Speaking of Bridesmaids, have you thought of anyone yet?" she questions nonchalantly which prompts Amy to all but forget about the research on Jonah's approval ratings to look at her daughter in confusion.

 

 _"I'm sorry?"_ Amy almost chokes on her hot coffee and clears her throat. 

 

Meagan plays with her two braids and shrugs her shoulders, "Bridesmaids. You know, for a _wedding._ " she speaks slowly like Amy isn't her mother and in fact her child.

 

Amy puts down her coffee mug and looks up at the staircase, making sure Chris is nowhere near the kitchen so he doesn't hear this conversation.

 

"Meagan. What did I tell you about joking about that kind of stuff?" she puts a hand on her hip waiting for her daughter's response.

 

Meagan sighs and glances at the staircase, "I don't know why you're getting so nervous about this. He's totally gonna propose to you soon." 

 

And she hates the way that makes her feel.

 

She's been proposed to before, and she tries to block that memory out as best as possible (Because, _Buddy)._ Sure, getting married to someone who loved and respected her as much as she did to them seemed like a dream come true but, after her forty-four years on this earth, she's learned that dreams don't really come true. 

 

 _"Meagan."_ she warns the girl, feeling a slight smile fighting to slide onto her lips, "Cut it out before he hears you." 

 

"Before he hears what?" Chris makes his way down the staircase, joining them in the kitchen. 

 

Meagan and Amy share a knowing look, 

 

 _"Nothing."_ they both respond in unison which makes Chris do a double take but luckily he submerges the suspicion for now.

 

Amy turns away from the counter and goes back to reviewing her files as Chris looks in the refrigerator, perfecting his look for the day.

 

"Chris?" Meagan speaks up, "Do you mind if we stop at the Slauson Cafe before we head to school, there's nothing for me to eat here." 

 

Chris looks up from the fridge and gives Meagan a warm smile, "No problem, kid. Are you sure that'll be good for your voice though? With the practice for your Musical after school and everything?"

 

And it's Amy's turn to smirk and give her daughter an _'I told ya so'_ look.

 

Meagan, ignoring the look from her mom, turns to give Chris a nice smile, "I'll just get some juice and a bagel from there." she grabs her backpack and slides off the stool.

 

"Great. Let's go then." Chris claps his hands together and throws his car keys to Meagan who catches them without trouble, "You can go warm up the car while I talk to you Mom." he points a finger at the garage door which prompts Meagan to give a knowing smile to the two.

 

"Alright then." she smirks, "Hey, Mom? Make sure that _proposal_ goes through." she plays with the car keys in her hands knowingly and exits the door before Amy has a chance to scold her for mentioning the proposal in front of Chris.

 

When they hear the garage door close, Amy groans dramatically.

 

"Forgive her, she's insufferable. She gets that from her father." she gives a dismissive wave as Chris licks his lips at her and laughs softly at that.

 

"No worries. She's just..excited." he shrugs his shoulders and tilts Amy's chin up to place a soft kiss against her lips, their lips moving slowly against one another in the way that drives her crazy.

 

"What could she be excited about?" Amy raises an eyebrow at the man as she uses her fingers to wipe away any lasting lipstick marks on his lips.

 

Chris shrugs and slides on his glasses, "No idea." he gives her a teasing smirk and slaps her ass with a quick peck on her cheek, "See you tonight." he bids over his shoulder and just like that, he's out the door.

 

God, did she mention how much she liked her life?

 

* * *

 

 

"What the _fuck_ do you mean I can't mention porn? I'm the goddamn President of the United States!" Jonah protests, practically stomping his foot like the incumbent, sixty-foot toddler he truly is. 

 

"That's the point you repulsive Slender Man." Amy grits at him with the grip on her phone so tight that her knuckles turn white, "The American people don't care about your sexual appetite, they care about the change you're bringing to the goddamn country." 

Jonah groans and crosses his arms, sinking into the chair behind the large wooden desk.

 

"It's not my fault that people are too pussy to admit that they like to stroke one out to 'Two Girls One Cup'! That's a high-quality production and I refuse to let any judgment pass on to those who participated in that film."

 

Beth, sitting on the desk, nods enthusiastically and points at Jonah with encouragement. 

 

"I wasn't able to watch that one. It made my stomach upset." Beth pouts innocently, her high-ponytail swinging in the air as she turns to face Teddy, Bill, and Amy who stare at the three in disbelief.

 

Teddy shakes his head and turns to Amy.

 

"Please tell me that handsome hunk of ass you call your boyfriend can twist this situation into something that can benefit us and not have Jonah sentenced to the federal prison of Nymphos." he practically salivates at the mention of Chris which makes Amy more uncomfortable then he already is. 

 

Amy takes a step back and straightens out her dress as she turns on her phone and furiously types out a message to Chris, "Bill. Send Kristen to the Press Room for the Afternoon briefing and have her confirm that Chris will be on Greg Hart tonight."

 

"Yeah Bill, send Kristen to the goddamn Press Room." Jonah snaps his fingers

 

Bill rolls his eyes and grabs his folder to jolt out of the room, leaving Amy and Teddy standing in front of the wooden desk.

 

It was images like the one in front of her that reminded her just how good at her job she was. 

 

Who else could elect Bozo the Clown himself to the highest position in the whole goddamn world-her, only her. 

 

Amy always knew that she was good at her job, she wasn't one of those tight-skirted yuppies that had to fuck and suck their way through DC to get a respectable job. She paid her goddamn dues and that's why she's where she's at right now. 

 

And now, after the success of seeing just how powerful and smart she was as Jonah's campaign manager, everyone else was starting to realize just how amazing she was at her job which allowed her to get what she's wanted all her life...the last fucking laugh.

 

"Can you send in Gonzalez so we can go over whatever appearance I need to make tomorrow?" Jonah points at the bananas resting on the coffee table for Beth to go over and retrieve one, "I'd like to change my appearance from ABC News to Cartoon Network and I'd like to go directly after the latest episode of 'Looney Tunes'." he speaks enthusiastically with his hands. 

 

Amy rolls her eyes as she finishes off her text to Chris and taps her heel impatiently,

 

"Why in the living hell would you want to do an interview on Cartoon Network? That's basically like driving your white van to a child's pool party in the daylight you goddamn idiot." she shakes her head at him.

 

"Take it from a registered sex offender, the key to living as one is to never be seen as one, you fucking skeez." Teddy scolds him with a sharp tongue as he paces back and forth. 

 

Jonah groans and throws his hands in the air, "Because that's Iridessa's favorite channel and if I want to go on a fucking cartoon network and speak political bullshit she can't understand to make her happy then, by all means, make it fucking happen!" he slams his hands against the table much like Meagan did when she was a toddler and demanded Amy's attention.

 

Then there are other times when she sees this image-Jonah fucking Ryan, sitting behind the most powerful desk in the entire world and thinking to herself.

 

Jesus fucking Christ, I actually did that.

 

"Iridessa loves 'The Squirrel Show'." Beth gushes like it's just about the greatest news in the whole world, "Her and Jonah watched it all last night instead of him preparing for his interview." 

 

Jesus.

 

"Had you read the fucking prep material then you would've known that Gonzales resigned yesterday," Teddy speaks up squeezing his hands into fists in the r air.

 

Jonah soaks that in for a minute. 

 

"So whose my new Status Communication Director?" Jonah looks to her for guidance. 

 

"Michelle York, one of Tom James' former staffers is on her way here to accept the position," Amy informs him quickly responding to Meagan's message with wedding dress options with one simple message.

 

 _'No'_ she sends to Meagan in response.

 

Jonah gives a boyish smile at that, "Is that the one who TJ knocked up after he ended his campaign? She's a hottie." he rubs his hands together.

 

Amy rolls her eyes and adjusts the strap of one of her heels, "We need more women on the team, Jonah. And no, not for your amusement but because we need to make it seem like women are capable of being in the same room with you without needing an extensive security team present for them." 

 

Jonah groans at that as Beth's eyes widen

 

"How old is her baby? That's so beautiful." Beth fawns with big Bambi eyes.

 

"The kid is legal right?" Teddy's eyes widened in worry.

 

Amy sighs and stands from the couch, receiving the notification that Michelle has arrived at the main lobby from one of the security details, "He is fourteen years old and is off limits." she gives Teddy a stern finger and looking to as she makes her way over to the door the secret service agent holds open for her. 

 

"Perfect! Let's see if he watches porn." Jonah claps his hands together as if he's had the most genius idea in the world. 

 

And she turns around to let him know that unless he wants to be on the world's creepiest President's list behind Cleveland and Hughes to shut his pre-pubescent ass the fuck up and do everyone a favor and read the goddamn cue cards they put in front of him.

 

And it's not even lunch yet. 

 

* * *

 

 

During her lunch break, she makes the executive decision to tag along with Chris to his pre-taping interview with Greg.

 

"You called?" Chris enters the room, trailing behind a secret service agent who escorts him into her office while she's having a quick debriefing meeting with Michelle. 

 

She looks up from Michelle's IPad and smiles.

 

"I did." Amy nods and gestures to Michelle who sits opposite of her, "Michelle, this is Chris and Chris this is Michelle York." Amy introduces the pair as Michelle turns in her seat and extends her hand to Chris. 

 

"Nice to meet you, Chris." Michelle gives a warm smile as Chris gives a warm one in return and joins Amy on the other side of the table, sliding a hand on her shoulder.

 

"You too, Michelle." he gives a warm smile and pulls up a seat next to Amy's office chair with his eyes peering over the messy desk, "What are you two working on?"

 

"Amy was just updating me on the hell hole Jonah's submerged himself into and were discussing potential strategies to get us out of that hole as safely and quickly as possible." 

 

"At Diana speed, essentially." Amy clarifies as she grabs her notepad and hands it to Chris for review. "Michelle was lucky enough to get into Greg's good graces and figure out what questions he'll ask you today." 

 

Chris leans over the desk, reading the document Amy handed him, "Impressive." he gives an earnest nod.

 

Michelle taps a few times on her IPad and turns it so Chris can view it along with her. 

 

"Basically Greg is going in with the intention to let it be a friendly conversation but, he's planning on getting you shellshocked with a surprise question that'll most likely have to do with the Conservatives strict beliefs on porn." 

 

She watches as Chris' eyes dial in and focuses on the task beforehand and she allows herself to sit there and just..watch him mentally prepare for the interview later today.

 

As cheesy as it is, Amy enjoys watching Chris work. 

 

Not because she was one of those clingy partners who has obsessed with their partners every move but more so, to appreciate just how much the man loves his job. 

 

It was attractive to be with someone who had a true passion in life and always put his best foot forward to reach his goals.

 

Not to mention that his beard was coming in slightly so his scruff drove Amy absolutely crazy and sometimes when she watched him on television, she wasn't exactly pissed at her hormones taking over and having a mind of their own. 

 

Then her office phone rings and she's jolted awake from her daydreaming. 

 

She holds a finger up to the two and picks up the receiver, leaning into her office chair so she's sitting back holding the receiver with her shoulder as she edits an email on her phone. 

 

"Hello?" she answers nonchalantly.

 

"Ms. Brookheimer? I have an incoming call from a Mr. Daniel Egan requesting to speak to you." she hears the receptionist, Heidi speak with that certain warm spark in her voice.

 

Amy feels her whole body tense up and her phone fall to the ground, bringing her back to reality. 

 

"I'm sorry?" her mind is racing a million miles a minute trying to figure out exactly why that douche nozzle was trying to contact her after all these years. 

 

"Mr. Daniel Egan, ma'am," Heidi repeats for clarification as she looks up from the ground after Chris picks up her phone and hands it to her with concern high in his eyes as he mouths  _'Are you okay?'._

 

Not knowing what to do, she gives a nervous thumbs up and lowers the volume on the call to ensure that only she can hear the message.

 

"He says that he's looking to discuss a potential offer with you," Heidi informs her as Amy nervously chews on her bottom lip. 

 

She hadn't spoken to Dan in years. After he and Selina had tried to force her into that abortion, she took herself as far as she could go (Straight to Jonah's campaign) and never looked back.

 

"Tell him to never try and contact me again. Speak with the head of security to ensure that his number is _blocked_ , please." the words leave her mouth without thinking and hesitation.

 

Before Heidi can bid her farewell or ask for further instructions, she simply slams the phone into the receiver; trying to get it as far away from her as possible. 

 

As she tries to catch her breath, there's a split second where she feels like she's the only person in the room and unfortunately for her, she's not. 

 

"Everything okay?" Michelle's eyebrow arches at her as Chris's eyes study her intensely, his hand sliding to take hers. 

 

Needing a breather, she stands from her chair and throws her hair behind her back.

 

"Just some...crazed reporter from Fox News. I'm gonna head to security and make sure they get that number blocked." she holds a finger up and quickly escapes her office without looking back.

 

Well, there goes her sanity. 

 

* * *

 

 

The minute she gets home...she's exhausted as fuck. 

 

It's not an unusual thing for her. 

 

Between raising Meagan and making sure she's situated 24/7 and practically controlling Jonah on a dog leash at all times, by the time it hits six, she's usually tired and ready to drink the stress of the day off and go the fuck to sleep. 

 

But it doesn't help that Meagan is all excited about what happened at school today and insists on giving both her and Chris the whole run down over dinner. 

 

"Then I told Mr. Vincent that I could learn _all_ of the songs in under three days including choreography and my actual speaking lines," she states proudly as she takes a few small bites of the steaming pasta from her bowl.

 

"That's exciting," Chris says while watching Amy who simply sits at the couch with her hair piled on top of her head and her eyes zoned out and her mind elsewhere. 

 

"My volleyball game! Mom? Can you make it this Friday?" she turns in the stool, with her eyes locked on Amy.

 

Amy snaps out of her daze and jolts back to reality, her blue eyes locking in on Meagan.

 

"What?" she blinks her eyes for clarification

 

Meagan rolls her eyes and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, "My volleyball game. Can you come this Friday?" she repeats slowly. 

 

Fuck, why the hell did her kid have to be so active in every single extra-curricular activity available?

 

Between her ASB leadership position as the Freshman Class President, member of the Varsity Volleyball Team and Lead Actor of her school's upcoming production of 'Thoroughly Moden Millie', Amy was constantly dropping five dollars every other Friday or Saturday to support her kid. 

 

"Yeah, I'll be there as always." she gives the girl a nod and tries to give a smile but from the way Meagan's eyes zero in on her, she can tell that the girl has an idea that something is wrong with her. 

 

Meagan turns in her seat, facing Chris and leans in for a careful whisper. 

 

"Is she okay?" she questions.

 

Chris takes one look at Amy and figures it's better to let Meagan think that her mom is okay versus telling her that she isn't okay (For whatever strange reason that has had her fucked up since that meeting with him and Michelle).

 

"She's fine." he offers, getting up and pouring Meagan more water into her cup, "She just had a...hard time at work." he gives a whisper to the young girl as Amy zones off again.

 

Meagan takes that in and looks over her shoulder once more, surveying her mother carefully. 

 

Suddenly, Amy stands from the couch and begins to make her way up the staircase without a word being said, leaving Chris and Meagan downstairs at the marble kitchen island. 

 

Chris releases a frustrated sigh and runs a hand through his hair as Meagan watches his body language. 

 

She can tell that whatever it is that her Mom is dealing with must not include Chris because if it did, then they would both be upstairs angrily banging it out. 

 

(And she hates that she knows that's what they do).

 

"You can go check on her." Meagan leans back in her seat and pulls out her phone.

 

Chris raises an eyebrow and gives a wave of his hand, "It's no big deal, kiddo." he stands from the counter and begins to discard of the pasta untouched by Amy in a plastic container. 

 

"She hates showing her emotions in front of me. She knows it worries me." Meagan speaks up from her spot at the counter, "Just go check on her for me, I'll be fine down here." she throws her braid behind her back giving Chris a warm smile. 

 

"Are you sure?" Chris eyes her up and down.

 

Meagan stands from the counter and places her empty dish in the sink, "It's fine. Not to mention I have ten songs to learn by the end of this week." she makes her way back to the table and picks up her phone. 

 

Chris smiles at her and pulls her in for a hug. 

 

"You're a pretty cool kid, you know that right?"

 

"Thanks." she gives him a warm smile as she pulls away from the hug, "I've always known that." she makes her way to the staircase leaving Chris all alone in the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

Amy takes a much-needed bath that night.

 

Soaking and basking in the overwhelmingly hot heat of the bath water, thinking about everything from work to goddamn fucking Dan trying to inch her way into her life yet again. 

 

When she left all those years ago, she left with the intention of never looking back. Even as much as she desired, she made the effort of getting as far away from him as she could for the sake of her and Meagan. 

 

And it was hard.

 

Denying and deleting all of his messages with his not-so-supportive responses and texts was the first step, completely blocking his number was the next step and making sure Jonah's secret service never let him within 100 miles of either her or Meagan was the next step.

 

God dammit, Meagan. 

 

She was so busy trying to figure out what Dan wanted from her, she completely forgot about Meagan. 

 

It's not like Amy ever really shard anecdotes about Dan to their daughter, when he made the decision that he'd rather have Meagan end up in some dumpster in the sky rather than here on earth where she belonged, Amy didn't want to have to pass that pain on to her daughter. 

 

She knew of all the pain Dan had put her through the years wouldn't be acceptable for the faint-hearted or even her daughter so, she always took a protective stance between Meagan and Dan even possibly getting close to one another. 

 

And even though Meagan's never actually met Dan, she's heard...stories from none other than her Aunt Sophie.

 

Thankfully, Sophie never went into explicit detail of what Dan was like so, Meagan was protected from some secrets but, Amy still didn't feel comfortable with the possibility of him being near her kid.

 

And even though they've never met...Meagan was so much like Dan at times, it fucking hurt.

 

Even though she got the champagne blonde hair Amy had as a child, she still managed to get Dan's eyes, chin, freckles, and nose. It was always weird seeing those features she had always associated with either herself or Dan onto the body of someone else. 

 

Obviously, she can't take the meeting that he was trying to set up with her. 

 

It would just be pure asinine move on her part.

 

To make all of the growth she's made over the past few years to just openly give him the opportunity to step all over it like he once has would be one of the dumbest things she's done. 

 

And Chris?

 

How the fuck was she going to explain this little situation with Chris?

 

Yes, they loved each other passionately but they also fought each other just as passionately.

 

Both of them were stubborn as all hell (Him more than her she liked to believe) and their small little disagreements could last for weeks on end.

 

There was nothing wrong with that. She'd rather have a partner she argued with sometimes versus one she never argued with.

 

But she never mentioned Dan to Chris. 

 

Well, never explicitly. 

 

She's always referred to Dan as 'Meagan's father' and made it clear at the beginning of their relationship that he was nowhere near the picture and would never be over her dead fucking body.

 

Since she figures she won't take the meeting from Dan she guesses that what Chris doesn't know won't hurt him?

 

She loves Chris, she loves him so much that it's actually quite scary. 

 

But, mentioning Dan and being subjected to reveal their history to Chris just seemed to dangerous and risky at this point. 

 

She didn't want to jeopardize a relationship she's been dreaming of for as long as could remember because of Dan fucking Egan.

 

She refused to let him have the power of fucking up her life again.

 

Deciding she's had enough of this stressful situation, she drains out the bath water, runs through her nightly routine and slides on her favorite purple satin sleep gown and ties her hair into a low ponytail as she makes her way into the master bedroom.

 

When she enters the room, she sees Chris lying on the bed over the covers with his reading glasses on scribbling down notes from his interview that broadcasts on the flat screen television. 

 

He looks up from his IPad with a furrowed brow.

 

"You okay?" he questions as she heaves herself onto the bed as she peels back the duvet and sheets. 

 

She nods and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, "Yeah just...tired from the day." she settles underneath the covers and brings the duvet over her body.

 

Chris gives a warm smile at that and pauses the interview, turning to Amy.

 

"You wanna talk about?" he offers.

 

As much as she loves him and his ability to actually sit down and talk shit out like an adult, she knows that's not wise right now. All it'll take for her to reveal the whole Dan situation is looking in those ocean blue eyes of his and letting her filter die at that moment. 

 

"We don't have to talk." she rolls over so she's on her stomach and moves removes his glasses from his face, dumping them on her side table.

 

From the way his pupils dilated as she moves her hands down his body, she can tell that he's turned on just as much as she is (If not more) and she uses it to her advantage.

 

 _"Ames,"_ he warns her as she turns off the television and hikes her dress up as she plays with the drawstring of his sweatpants with her fingers. 

 

"Let's finish what we started this morning." she suggests, her fingers palming his bulging crotch without a care in the world, "I never got to pay you back." 

 

Chris licks his lips at that and ruts against her the minute she takes a seat in his lap which causes her to release a moan.

 

His hands curve her ass as she begins to crave the hunger at the pit of her stomach by beginning to ride herself against his lap, feeling him harden under her. 

 

"What about the interview?" his eyes study her.

 

She doesn't know if it's because of the way his eyes are zeroed in on her or getting a good look at his face in the bright light of the room that increases her hunger for him but, next thing she knows she practically feels herself going damp in her underwear.

 

"That can wait." she tilts her head to the side and bites down on his earlobe, "I have something else I'd rather do," she smirks to herself, feeling his hands tighten his grip on her waist.

 

Soon enough he gets the hint and discards of his sweatpants as Amy begins to settle herself in between his legs and licks her lips in anticipation.

 

And this is what she needs right now in all honesty.

 

Not discussing her feelings about the irrelevant cretin that is Dan Egan or worrying about whether or worrying about if her daughter knew anything about her dead beat father. 

 

Now having sex with her annoyingly handsome boyfriend?

 

That's all she needed right about now. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment and or kudos!
> 
> They're greatly appreciated and heavily encouraged!


	2. Between an Old Memory and Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He hasn't spoken to Amy in fucking years and hasn't even spoken about her along with that same timeframe. Once she decided that she was too fucking good to put up with Dan's shit, she hauled ass to Jonah's campaign, leaving him in the fucking dust like a dumbass. 
> 
>  
> 
> What was she expecting? For him to chase after her like one of those doe-eyed pussies with their dicks strapped in between their legs? Fuck no. 
> 
> If anything, he finds it quite disrespectful. Whether she cares to admit to it or not, they've always have had some level of respect for one another's opinions and the fact that she rolled to the other side when Dan had tried to do what's right and get her to just get the fucking abortion was enough to piss him off. 
> 
>  
> 
> Sure, it seemed like she was somewhat successful now. Electing a goddamn idiot to the highest office in America was somewhat talented and took a special kind of skill to pull it off. But, he can only imagine how much more success she would've been subjected to had she just listened to Dan and gone through with the abortion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! The second chapter already, huh? That's absolutely crazy!
> 
> I'm not going to lie, the outpour of love and support I've been receiving for this story on here and Tumblr is absolutely amazing and completely overwhelming in the best way possible. I know that S7 has been a little....difficult for many of you (Trust and believe me when I say you're not alone) and I've never been happier to have fanfiction, lol.
> 
> So, I say thank you to all of you who have been so encouraging of my stories and me, especially now. There are many days when I don't feel motivated to write and it's the power and love you all give me that keeps me going and I greatly appreciate that!
> 
> Onto this chapter...
> 
> This entire chapter takes place from Dan's perspective and I will offer you a fair warning before you read this story that Dan is his usual, awful self ESPECIALLY in this chapter (And once you read it, you'll understand why).
> 
> We meet Dan's brother...and of course, while writing this, I was thinking of Ben Feldman (Because, hello, they're twins). So I heavily encourage for you to think of him as well (It makes it better-I promise)
> 
> In this story, Dan will struggle....a LOT, and quite frankly, I think he deserves it at this point. But if you do not feel the same way, and this by any means makes you uncomfortable in any way, I heavily suggest not to read this story!
> 
> With the being said, here's the second chapter!
> 
> (Make sure to leave a comment and or kudos!)

 

 

What the fuck was up with him and getting fired?

 

It seemed like this was either the seventh-or was it tenth? time getting fucking fired from somewhere. 

 

Getting fired from goddamn CBS, _again_ , just might be the straw the breaks the camel's goddamn back (With Dan being the ass fucking camel in this explanation). 

 

Now here he was, forty-eight years old, on the brink of yet another unnecessary firing, stuck on his ass lost as all hell. 

 

At this point, the days go by so quickly he doesn't even really remember what day it is. That is, until Heather's phone wakes him the fuck up the next morning with the word, Thursday in bolded lettering at the top of her screen (Was it just him or was his eyesight getting worse and worse?).

 

So. with it being Thursday..that means it's been about ten days since he's been fired...and he still doesn't know what to do. 

 

Besides fucking whoever is even available to fuck at this point, Dan's only source of entertainment was laughing to himself over the sheer idiocy that is the Ryan Presidency and watching old Selina speeches that featured the ones he wrote to revel in his sheer brilliance. 

 

Do you know how fucking bored you have to be to willingly watch videos of Selina Meyer?

 

Sometimes he forgets that Dead Skeez Walking is on his second year of reelection and that the Paddington Goddamn Bear is serving as the fucking VEEP of America. 

 

He never wanted to be a fucking Canadian more until the 2028 election when fucking Jonah won the goddamn Presidency by a landslide. 

 

It's this weird lonely feeling that's taken over his life like a goddamn cloud and is continuing to rain all over his goddamn parade and he's so fucking stuck in his life that he can't help but just sit there and take it since he's so goddamn exhausted.

 

Jesus, could anything go right for him?

 

Even fucking women have gotten more and more complicated for whatever reason.

 

Suddenly, there's been this resurgence of women feeling themselves and not putting up for men's shit, which he supposes is great for them but in fact real shitty for men like him because _that's_ how he entertains himself. 

 

He entertains himself by fucking the hottest of hottest chicks of all (legal) ages for the sheer joy of euphoria. 

 

So, now he has to settle with fucking college newbies and divorced moms to get that feeling of accomplishment again. 

 

Which fucking sucks for him. Yes, a good old fashion fuck is hard to beat but it's hard to fucking enjoy when you come on their tits and are immediately reminded of how fucking lonely you are the minute you're forced to leave their house out of fear of someone seeing you with them. 

 

He knows he's bored out of his fucking mind when he dutifully agrees to meet his younger brother Downtown for drinks and who the fuck knows. 

 

He hasn't spoken to his brother or sister in what? Five years each? Longer for his brother because oh yeah, Dan managed to fuck his fiancee ages ago out of sheer boredom from the wedding festivities and his brother was not a happy camper over that.

 

He figures his brother will spend the majority of the time ranting and complaining about the sheer exhaustion and boredom of the suburban lifestyle he subjected himself to all those years ago he settled down to marry Lindsay-or Laila? Or was it Lily?

 

So, needing a laugh and to feel better about himself, he dusts himself off, slides on his best turtleneck with his favorite jeans and makes his way Downtown.

 

He gets there before his brother does, and it gives him the opportunity of ordering a Scotch and managing to flirt it up with the totally fuckable raven-haired bartender who gives him his first drink on the house. 

 

Yeah, he's definitely fucking her tonight. 

 

Then his brother shows up. 

 

And he has no choice but to laugh.

 

His younger brother, Anthony, has never been the most... _stylish_ person in their family. When they were younger (and all lived in the same house) Dan had always tried to help the kid seem an inch cooler because if he had to be related to him, then Dan would at least try to make it worthwhile.

 

But no, Anthony was a musical theater loving, photography club based geek growing up, and the two of them just could not get along for the life of them.

 

Well, unless they were drinking. 

 

"Long time no see, little bro." Dan teases the man as he makes his way to the booth Dan sits at and removes his Yankees baseball cap.

 

Anthony gives him an already annoyed smile and runs a hand through his brunette hair. 

 

"Hey, Dan." he settles onto the opposing side of the table and drops his phone on the table, "You're looking more and more like an old man every day." his brother eyes him up and down and chuckles to himself. 

 

"I'd rather look like a man with experience than a man with none," he grumbles out as he takes a sip of the dark liquor. 

 

Anthony snorts at that and waves over the bartender Dan was checking out earlier.

 

"Who taught you that? Jane McCabe?" 

 

Dan rolls his eyes and leans against the leather seating of the table, _"McCabe wishes'."_ he mumbles underneath his breath, the memories of the Wicked Witch herself encompassing his brain. 

 

He watches as Anthony takes his order.

 

Besides the hat, his brother didn't look as awful as he expected him to. He's developing a small scruff, has ditched the annoyingly stupid Graphic tees for a Navy Blue button down shirt and a pair of black jeans. 

 

They begin to talk about all of the annoyingly irrelevant things from Anthony's drive down to DC to how his job is going (He's a photographer for Vanity Fair) and the question he's been dreading, how the families were doing.

 

"It's tough right now, obviously." Anthony takes a heavy sigh and plays with his glass, "Everyone's having a difficult time processing everything." he shrugs nonchalantly.

 

Did his family have to be so fucking dramatic? Yes, life seemed to be kicking everyone in the ass right now (Especially him) but there was no need to hail it all as difficult and challenging. 

 

"If there's anything I don't miss about our family. It's how fucking dramatic you guys can be-it's like living with four different versions of Meryl Streep." he chuckles to himself as he shakes his head in disbelief. 

 

Anthony's eyes rake over Dan's in confusion, worried about his cool and careless exterior. 

 

"You seem to be taking the news well." Anthony marvels at his brother in surprise, "Frances is still losing her marbles every other second."

 

He looks at his brother in confusion. When wasn't their older sister being dramatic as fuck? As far as he was concerned, Frances literally invented the act of being dramatic. 

 

"Frances has been dramatic since conception." Dan's eyes fall on the glass in front of him.

 

Anthony's eyebrows furrow in confusion at him as he continues to study his older brother. 

 

"You seriously have no idea what I'm even talking about, do you?" Anthony's eyes widen at him in surprise and it's Dan's turn for his eyebrow to furrow in confusion at his younger brother. 

 

"What the hell are you talking about, Anthony?" Dan's pretty much lost his incisive of being reasonable and nice with his sibling at this point. 

 

Anthony soaks that in and takes a dramatically long deep breath, his eyes looking around the decent sized bar and his eyes finally land back on Dan. 

 

"Dad died two weeks ago," Anthony admits with slight hesitation, "I thought you knew."

 

And for a minute it's like the world goes still.

 

He's not thinking about his fuck buddies. 

 

He's not thinking about how fucking miserable his life is. 

 

And he's certainly not thinking of his bat-shit crazy, overly dramatic family.

 

He's trying to wrap his mind around the fact that his Dad, the shit-sack Playboy himself has finally kicked the bucket and fallen at his knees to death.

 

And he's not entirely sure on how to react.

 

From the way Anthony stares at him, he can tell that he's expecting Dan to go into this fucking soliloquy of how sad this whole ordeal is and going on and on about his favorite memories with their father. 

 

But Dan has none. 

 

From what he can remember his Dad was a Grade A fucking asshole and proved to be the worst husband and father ever in history (And Dan's putting both Darth Vader and Marvin Gaye Sr. on that list). 

 

 _"How._..how did he die?" the curiosity takes over his mind before he can stop himself. 

 

Anthony looks at him like he's a fragile paper doll (And he's the fucking Ice Man for Christ Sakes, emotions are pointless to him) and takes a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the retelling of the story.

 

"His maid found him in bed after being unresponsive for a full week. The coroners said that it was Alcohol Poisoning and by the time they reached him...he had been dead for the past few days."

 

Fuck.

 

He soaks that in, feeling his body go still.

 

"Shit." 

 

"Yeah..." Anthony nods and pinches the bridge of his nose. 

 

He always knew his dad had a problem with alcohol...he likes to blame a majority of his childhood traumas because of it but he didn't know it was this bad. Bad to the point where it leads to his fucking death. 

 

"How's Mom?" Dan thinks of ways to steer the conversation from himself.

 

Anthony shrugs his shoulders, "She's...in _denial._ Still can't seem to understand that he's gone." 

 

Makes sense, his mother was never really one for letting go of things. 

 

Fucking Catholics. 

 

"How's Fran?" his mind goes to his sister (Whom he hasn't thought about in years).

 

 _"A mess_. A goddamn fucking mess if I've ever seen one." Anthony admits

 

Which makes perfect sense. Fucking Frances was always their father's favorite despite Frances being the biggest fucking bitch Dan has ever met. She was a complete and utter Daddy's Girl who had no problem being the bitch she was born to be to get whatever she wanted in life. 

 

"I'm sorry you had to find out this way, man." Anthony shakes his head, "Frances swore up and down she would tell you." 

 

He waves a dismissive hand in the air, "Don't worry about it." he shrugs, "She's always hated my fucking guts." 

 

Anthony chews on his bottom lip and nods at that, "Yeah, she's never been fond of you." he admits awkwardly, playing with his glass with his hands.

 

He supposes he should be sad about all of this? But he's not entirely.

 

It's not like his Dad was one of those glowing Fathers of The Year who showered him with the love and support that most parents typically do if anything he showered his children with traumas and situations that they'll never be able to shake off of them. 

 

If there's anything Dan has ever dreamed of achieving it's simple.

 

To not end up like his fucking father. 

 

He'd literally do whatever it takes to not end up like that fucking asshole and he thinks he's done a pretty solid job at that. 

 

He hasn't fucked up a marriage, hasn't fucked up any kids (That he knows of) and isn't a raging alcoholic. 

 

"Regardless, have you met anybody yet or are you still Playboy Egan?" Anthony leans back against the seat, studying his older brother cautiously. 

 

His eyes look over to the raven-haired bartender who has her eyes locked in admiration on the television screen in front of Dan's viewpoint and he takes a minute to admire the view. 

 

She's got a nice rack and a decent ass, as long as she has one of the two, he's fine with it in all honesty.

 

"Nope. I'm still a free agent, little bro. It's quite the rewarding lifestyle." he half lies through gritted teeth and a smirk forcing himself to think about what it would be like to fuck the raven-haired bartender. 

 

Anthony chuckles at that and shrugs his shoulders, "I wouldn't have expected less from notorious lady killer, Dan Egan." he takes a sip of his drink as Dan's eyes flick up to the tv. 

 

And it's in that moment he feels his jaw drop.

 

It's Amy. Well, not _actually_ her but, they're talking about Amy. And for some strange moment, he can feel his heart beating for a brief second. 

 

They're showing a clip of her from a CBS interview that took place a few months ago (He should know, he was fucking banned from work that day because Little Ms. High Maintenince had made it clear that if Dan was anywhere near the studio that day she would cancel the interview).

 

But it's the headline that grabs his attention and makes him all but forget his somewhat interesting conversation with Anthony.

 

 _'Brookheimer set to appear on Time's 100 Influential People List'_ is set in bold lettering at the bottom of the screen.

 

Fuck? That shitty, egotistical list was making it's run again? Jesus fucking Christ time was fucking flying at this point. It feels like it was only yesterday when the '30 Under 30' list was released to the public and he should fucking know because he strategically used the list to figure who exactly to fuck since he was well past the age requirements of appearing on the list.

 

"Earth to Dan?" Anthony's voice pulls him out of his studious gaze of Amy's relaxed demeanor that's being broadcasted in high definition on the flat screen covering the wall in front of him, "Jesus, are you still trying to view your reflection on TV's? I figured you actually being on TV would help curb that hab-"

 

"No." Dan takes a sour sip of his drink and sighs heavily, "It's not that, it's....it's something else." he suppresses the feelings and forces himself to think about him coming on the hot bartender's tits. 

 

Hopefully, his usually nosy brother gets the hint and chooses to ignore him. And that's exactly why Dan doesn't input trust on anyone else because Anthony stays true to his nosy-ass roots and twists his body to get a good look at the television screen, in time to see Amy with some middle-aged dipshit with a scruffy beard and decent looking suit sitting next o her and making googly eyes at her as her eyes are focused on something off screen.

 

Dan's never hated a man more. 

 

 _"Ah."_ Anthony takes one look and gets the hint, "Didn't you two use to work together?" his eyes watch Dan with great interest.

 

Leave it to his fucking family to pour more salt in his goddamn wounds.

 

"Yeah, somethin' like that." he gripes, practically praying for the end of this goddamn conversation.

 

If he wanted to boast about the good ol' glory days of his time on the Meyer administration, then he would've taken Mike up on that offer of getting a beer ages ago.

 

"Well, everyone's gotta move on at one point." Anthony gives a charismatic sigh and glances over his shoulder once more to take a long look at the television behind him, "She's moved on pretty well from what I can recall."

 

"What makes you say that?" his voice is rougher than he likes. 

 

He hasn't spoken to Amy in fucking years and hasn't even spoken about her along with that same timeframe. Once she decided that she was too fucking good to put up with Dan's shit, she hauled ass to Jonah's campaign, leaving him in the fucking dust like a dumbass. 

 

What was she expecting? For him to chase after her like one of those doe-eyed pussies with their dicks strapped in between their legs? Fuck no. 

 

If anything, he finds it quite disrespectful. Whether she cares to admit to it or not, they've always have had some level of respect for one another's opinions and the fact that she rolled to the other side when Dan had tried to do what's right and get her to just get the fucking abortion was enough to piss him off. 

 

Sure, it seemed like she was somewhat successful now. Electing a goddamn idiot to the highest office in America was somewhat talented and took a special kind of skill to pull it off. But, he can only imagine how much more success she would've been subjected to had she just listened to Dan and gone through with the abortion. 

 

"Well she's only elected Jonah Ryan to the White House two times in a row after his stint as VP for two terms, something tells me she's ahead of the curve." 

 

Dan rolls his eyes at that. 

 

What the fuck did his brother know about politics? Didn't he have a fucking degree in Photography or some Avant Garde bullshit? 

 

"Americans are stupid," Dan mumbles underneath his breath.

 

Anthony's eyes go wide at that as he plays with the glass in his hands, "Glad to see you have such strong faith in your country, Danny." 

 

Dan winces at the nickname and shakes it off with a long gulp of his drink, "Please." he coughs, winning at the dark liquor, "Once you've seen or heard half the shit I've been witness too, you'd be right here with me."

 

"What? Single, depressed and unemployed?" 

 

Fuck, that sounded bad. He swears it wasn't actually that bad, he was still getting laid a decent amount and still had the nice house with accessories and all that shit he cared about. 

 

" _No,"_ Dan mumbles under his breath, sinking deeper into his seat as his eyes fall back on to the television screen.

 

"Well I mean, I guess you're right. Politicians have a...different breeze about them. I've photographed some of Hollywood's biggest stars and even they aren't as intimidating as some of these Politicians." Anthony uses a thumb to gesture at the television screen behind him. 

 

And that's what makes this conversation more interesting. 

 

"You've met Amy before?" his eyebrows raise in confusion.

 

He doesn't recall bringing Amy home like.. _.ever?_ The only time his family ever met one of his significant others was when the family was offering to play for the whole goddamn wedding and Dan was a stupid twenty-four-year-old who was new to Washington. 

 

(Again, he was stupid).

 

Anthony nods at that and clears his throat, taking a break from his drink.

 

"She and Chris Blake did a cover shoot for next month's issue," he states like it's general public knowledge. 

 

Which, Dan wouldn't have known this information even if he fucking wanted to. Amy's dramatic ass blocked him on all social media platforms years ago and he's still salty about it in all honesty. 

 

He's trying to get over the everlasting shock that Amy-his Amy, did a fucking magazine cover shoot willingly when it was goddamn World War 3 trying to get her to appear on a television program for a brief appearance. 

 

"For Vanity Fair?" Dan can't help his eyes going round in disbelief. 

 

Anthony gives a chuckle like it's obvious, "That's where I work, dumbass." 

 

He ignores that dig for now because something else is pulling on his brain. 

 

"With who-Chris Blake?" he leans over the table, his interest grew more and more every passing second. 

 

Anthony nods, "I didn't get to shoot them but, I was responsible for overseeing the whole creative process-where they shoot, whose shooting them what story we're telling through the-"

 

"Does she know that we're related?" he points a finger at himself, practically salivating at the thought of the good ol' Egan name being brought up in Amy's presence after years and years of her trying to run away from him. 

 

Anthony shakes his head, "Who knows. We had a brief meeting with their team discussing the whole format of the thing and I doubt it." he admits.

 

Taking that in, Dan nods as his fingertips drum against the wooden table. 

 

"Chris Blake." the name leaves his lips feeling all too familiar, "Where do I know that name from?'" he tries his hardest to remember.

 

"Went to UCLA for his Undergrad and attended Cornell for his Masters." Anthony declares from the top of his head, "His father was good friends with Hugh Hefner and during his Summer's back home, he would intern at City Hall and all that notable jazz."

 

Fuck. 

 

Dan would never openly admit to it but that's quite impressive. 

 

And he's not even talking about the whole college thing. He really means the whole Hugh Hefner thing, it's so cool that Dan doesn't exactly enjoy the feeling of jealousy that burns strongly at the pit of his stomach. 

 

The amount of pussy he must've gotten must be astronomical. 

 

"That's..cool, I suppose." Dan shrugs like it's nothing and he's totally not internally screaming of jealous rage. 

 

"Yeah, I was surprised by how cool they were. Most politicians have a habit to be real assholes but they were really cool, not to mention that their daughter was-"

 

Wait, _daughter?_

 

"Hold on." Dan cuts off her brother again, "They have a kid together?"

 

Had he been that out of the loop to miss out on Amy getting knocked up again but this time by a complete and total stranger? Don't get him wrong, Dan understands that press is press and there are no such things as bad press but getting pregnant for a relationship that seems to be PR? That seemed a tad bit overboard.

 

"Yeah...Meagan?" Anthony strokes his chin and smiles to himself, "The girl was a sweetheart though, reminded me a young Fran."

 

Meagan? As in _his_ Meagan?

 

"How old was the kid?" Dan tries to conceal the panic in his eyes as he mentally adds up how old he and Amy's child would've hypothetically been by now.

 

"Fourteen I believe." Anthony thinks for a second and his eyes fall back on Dan in confusion, "Why are you so concerned about someone else's kid?"

 

Because that's his kid, dumbass.

 

He feels the breath gets caught in his throat.

 

"It's just...I never saw Amy as the motherhood type." he feigns, busying himself with playing with his drink.

 

Anthony stares longingly at Dan like he wants to ask him a million questions and if Dan were in his shoes, he probably would too. 

 

He doesn't mean to act like a fucking weirdo, it's just..weird to hear that Amy's seem to have moved on without him and believe it or not, it's not the greatest feeling ever. 

 

Anthony plunges his hand in his pocket and pulls out his phone.

 

"You should read the article when it comes out, it's a pretty great interview," Anthony suggests. 

 

_Gag._

 

"Maybe...." he shrugs trying to act like he doesn't give a damn. 

 

Anthony swipes through his phone with his eyes down and Dan takes it as an opportunity to try and distract himself with the waitress and it, unfortunately, doesn't work. 

 

His kid. The one that was conceived off of six years of built-up tension and Scotch was out in the world somewhere with Amy being raised by her totally PR boyfriend?

 

Something about knowing that factoid didn't sit well with him. 

 

So, he does what makes the most logical sense next.

 

"Do you think you can get me an advance copy of that?" Dan leans over the table, toying with the drinking glass, "For work purposes of course." 

 

Anthony's eyebrows furrow at him, "But you _don't_ work." 

 

No shit, Sherlock.

 

Dan just swallows at that and gives an earnest nod. 

 

"Remember that time you had a crush on Ellie Guthrie in the fourth grade and I convinced her to kiss your pansy ass?" Dan suggests.

 

Anthony rolls his eyes at that, "It was _Elsie_ Guthrie." he corrects with a sharp tongue, "And you had sex with her when we started dating in high school." he protests

 

"You _owe_ me this, asshat." Dan gives his brother a stern look, choosing to ignore his obnoxious wining. 

 

And Anthony tries.

 

He tries so goddamn hard to say no and do the brave, noble, honest thing and decline Dan's request.

 

But luckily for Dan, Anthony's always been a fucking pushover. 

 

 _"Fine."_ Anthony dutifully agrees and scratches the back of his neck out of frustration, "But none of your signature Egan bullshit, unlike you I don't get off on being fired." Anthony leans against the plush seating and sinks in despair, soaking in what he just agreed to. 

 

"Fuck you, Anthony," Dan tells him (just because he can).

 

* * *

He doesn't end up fucking the Bartender because the Universe actually hates him.

 

(Well really, because she was gay as shit and had told Dan so when he proposed that they head back to his condo promptly after Anthony left.)

 

He should've fucking known. 

 

Any girl that hot was either a raging lesbian or married to some fucking Slovic eighty-year-old to help pay their rent. 

 

(The woman was so goddamn gay she made fucking Marjorie look like a heterosexual, gang-banging porn star.)

 

Deciding that enough is enough, Dan eventually heaves himself off the stool and (successfully) manages to get himself home in one-piece.

 

Maybe he could call fucking Vivien? It was around ten thirty at night and he figured that she must've gotten those brats of hers down for the night.

 

He calls and she doesn't answer.

 

Next, he tries Tiffany.

 

Tiffany- the red-headed grad school student who attends Georgetown for Nursing and is always in the mood for a good fuck that can take her mind off of any one of those fucking tests she's always studying for.

 

He calls and to his surprise, she doesn't answer. 

 

And unfortunately for him, that's what he stays up doing all night. 

 

(That is, until midnight when he decides that enough if e-fucking-nough and he'll have better luck tomorrow after he's gotten some beauty sleep under his belt and doesn't look like a raging alcoholic).

 

As always, he slugs through his nightly routine as he does every other night, this time he turns the television on in his bedroom because, by god, he needs noise in this fucking house, it's starting to make him go mad internally.

 

Just because he was alone didn't mean he'd like to fucking feel like he was. 

 

He knows that he's well-past bored because when he hears the all-too-familiar sound of his phone chiming from his bedroom, he almost chokes on his toothpaste as he tries to spit out his toothpaste to run and go check his phone. 

 

The minute he gets to his phone, he has wide eyes and high-interest wondering who could have possibly communicated him.

 

He had sent out his resume and left messages to all of his colleagues to make sure that they all knew he was a free agent and was currently just waiting to begin fielding the plethora of offers he could practically taste. 

 

Unfortunately for him, there weren't any offers to exactly field so far.

 

The message pops up and the interest falls-it's just fucking Anthony.

 

He's never been more disappointed in his life (And he worked for the goddamn Meyer administration for ages). He goes to throw his phone back on the bed without a care in the world but there's a second chime that manages to grab his attention.

 

_'Don't say I've never done anything for you'_

_'Check your IPad, I know you probably have seven of them.'_

 

He grumbles to himself as he uses the towel to wipe off his face and fumbles for his IPad that rests comfortably on his night table.

 

All he wanted to do at this point was to go the fuck to sleep and the fact that his brother most likely forwarded him their father's funeral program is quite the indicator that sleep is the last thing he'll be getting. 

 

(Again, he only checks because he's bored as shit and doesn't have anything interesting to focus on right now.)

 

"What the..?" stumbles out of his mouth as he opens up the PDF attached to Anthony's email.

 

And it's Amy...and that Chris dude on the front cover of Vanity Fair.

 

 _'Brookheimer and Blake: The Duo Who Could'_ was set at the head of the digital cover with the words sprawled in elaborate red ink that oozed glitz and glamour.

 

It's not even the ridiculous silver dress that's draped on Amy's body that brings his body to a bone-chattering laughter, it's more so of the complete and sheer shock and amazement that Amy Brookheimer-his Amy Brookheimer was taking on the role of DC's newest cover girl-a role that the real Amy Brookheimer would gladly decline on any day of the week.

 

Doing shit she's never done before? Scratch that shit off the PR Couple checklist.

 

It's not like he cares though, he couldn't care less on the fact that Amy was so unlucky with love that she had to subject herself to some horny for publicity chooch just for people to start paying attention to her.

 

Had she just gown the fuck up and got that goddamn abortion like he had advised her time and time again, then they both would've been household names by now-he's _sure_ of it.

 

Needing a laugh, he begins to scroll through the digital file with his interest grew more and more. 

 

He hates to admit it but, she looks...fucking amazing. 

 

She looks like the confident, fierce and determined Amy Brookheimer he had seen for the first time in ages Selina stopped by Hallows' office for the meeting.

 

The only difference from then to now is that her hair is longer (And uncharacteristically blonder), she's picked up on wearing colors other than grey and black on a daily basis, her clothes emphasize the womanly curves her body has grown into over the years, and her skin is fucking radiant.

 

And he can't say that he hates this look on her. 

  
Sure, he'll always picture Amy as that tony, red-faced, softie screaming expletives at him without hesitation or pause but, seeing this.... this new and improved, foreign version of Amy is almost...confusing.

 

She's never given a shit about what people think.

 

She's never changed herself for anybody.

 

Now here she was, all in what seemed like someone else's' glory, acting like someone he's never known.

 

And it's not like reading the interview excerpts is any better.

 

The whole interview is balls deep on some over-the-top coupley bullshit that the real Amy Brookheimer would never be caught dead in.

 

It's when he sees a few solo shots of Chris...that feeling of remembrance overtakes his body and he's left trying to fit in the missing puzzle pieces on this goddamn mystery.

 

He's positive that he's seen Chris before.

 

The man's features were burned to the back of Dan's mind so eerily that he could practically hear the man's voice in his ears and he _hates_ it. 

 

But there's a reason why he fucking remembers this guy and he can tell it's not for a good fucking reason. 

 

No one remembers anybody for being all noble and good-spirited, they just don't.

 

And he's determined to find out why.

 

* * *

 

 "Mr. Egan? This is Heidi Rhodes from the White House returning your call." he gets a phone call a few days later.

 

_Finally._

 

"Perfect," he smirks to himself, playing with his water bottle as he shuts off his car engine, "If you could directly put me through to Amy, that'd be-"

 

"I'm afraid I can't do that sir." the woman's small voice informs him which practically causes him to drop his phone into his lap. 

 

Luckily he shuts off his phone before it falls into his lap (He was currently peering through Amy's Instagram feed on a separate account for more answers before he got the call and couldn't afford to accidentally like a photo from a few years back).

 

Now shaking with fury, he lifts his phone back to his ear.

 

"And why the hell not?" his voice is demanding and fierce, it's been a while since he's gotten seriously vexed with someone, let alone a complete and utter stranger. 

 

From the way, the woman's soft voice fills his ear from his phone speaker, and the way her voice wobbles with each breath, this woman could be on the brink of fucking retirement for all he knew.

 

But, that still doesn't put a fucking splinter in his fury.

 

Heidi clears her throat nervously, "I cannot go into specifics of Ms. Brookheimer's orders but, I am calling to inform you that after this call you will be blocked, removed and blacklisted from all White House forms of communication."

 

He groans to himself and throws his head back against his car's headrest.

 

"And this is Amy's orders?" his eyes open and he sees the ceiling of his car's interior, sighing to himself in complete and utter annoyance.

 

"Yes, Mr. Egan these orders come directly from Ms. Brookheimer herself and have been approved by the Presiden and White House Security Council as well," Heidi informs him, with her voice practically sad for him and this embarrassing situation.

 

Since when was Amy too good to answer his fucking phone calls? Did all of that fucking hairspray and beauty product go to her goddamn head and make her forget who the fuck he was?

 

He was Dan fucking Egan. 

 

He was the one who got her off so hard she ended up fucking Pregnant with his kid (And he knows he's important because there's no way in hell that she would've kept fucking Ed or Buddy's spawn by a _longshot.)_

He was the one that got her that lobbying gig all those years ago when she went 'Girl, Interrupted' crazy on everyone and was heading for the dead end of the pool she submerged herself into.

 

And did he mention he was the father of her fucking child? Didn't that qualify for any sort of relevance here?

 

Then a lightbulb goes off in his head. 

 

The lightbulb in the form of his daughter, who he sees exit the school's grand Sequoia doors, goes off in his head and he's filled with yet another simply amazing Dan Egan idea. 

 

Knowing what to do next, he sinks in his seat and watches the blonde girl interact with her peers without a care or worry in the world. 

 

"Well that's a bummer." he feigns, gripping the steering wheel tightly with his right hand, keeping his eyes on his daughter as she takes a seat on a bench with, who he assumes, a few friends.

 

"I know, Mr. Egan. I do apologize, your message seemed quite important." Heidi says with a smooth, sincere voice.

 

"It was." he checks his reflection using his rearview mirror, spending more time tousling his hair back to perfection, "It was regarding our daughter, _Meagan."_ he tries but the name feels foreign leaving his tongue. 

 

And this is a goddamn lie.

 

Originally, his plan was to meet with Amy, have her see just how well he's aged, reveal a few truths about her PR hungry boyfriend and mention that he's in need of a job (And with Gonzales resigning as the Director of Strategetic Communications, the job basically had his name all over it).

 

(Sure, he had seen that Michelle York had been given the job but let's be real, she wasn't Dan fucking Egan).

 

But he doesn't tell Heidi that for obvious reasons. 

 

So when Heidi's voice goes up and octave and burbles in excitement, he knows he's gotten her. 

 

"Wait? You must be little Meagan's father!" the glee is apparent in the woman's voice, "It's such an honor to meet you." 

 

 _"Likewise."_ Dan grits out watching Meagan closely.

 

After he had done an intensive background check on both Amy and Meagan (And sometimes Chris') social media accounts, he had found out all of the information he had needed to get a feel for what Meagan's routine would be.

 

She was a ninth grader at the Sidwell Friends School and according to her posts, she was a player on the Varsity Volleyball team and lead actress in her school's Spring Musical.

 

(And of course she was-even though he never explicitly met her, that was still his kid, he wouldn't have expected less)

 

Needing to get out of the house, Dan drove to the school and parked near the furthest tree with his Ray-Bans on, watching the front door like a fucking hawk.

 

It was six o'clock now which means she must've finished either both practices or just one and is waiting for someone to come and pick her up.

 

"Well.." he hears scrambling in the background of Heidi's crisp, chipper voice, "Maybe I can leave a message for Ms. Brookheimer? Since it's pertaining to Meagan?"

 

_Bing-fucking-o._

 

"That would be _exceptional,_ Heidi," he smirks to himself in the mirror, feeling on top for the first time in literal fucking weeks. 

 

"Great." Heidi's voice is cheerier, like an animated fucking character, "What do you wish for the message to say?" 

 

He thinks to himself for a minute.

 

How could he get Amy to him quickest? 

 

What could get her back and running to his arms at the speed of light without hesitation or over-thinking it? 

 

In the distance, he hears the sound of untamed, bubbly laughter and he has to crane his neck and remove his sunglasses to see that it's Meagan whose chest is bouncing up and down in feverish, girly laughter.

 

And for a minute, he swears it sounds just like fucking Amy.

 

In a weird way, it brings a smile to his face and a weird...warm feeling taking over his heart.

 

Jesus, is this what parenting feels like?

 

"Can you tell her that I would like to meet with her privately to discuss this _living arrangement_ that I've drafted up for Meagan. I know that Chris hasn't exactly been on his best behavior lately and it's keeping me up at night knowing that my daughter is in the hands of that man." he gives a dramatic sigh, to emphasize his dramatic point. 

 

He hears an audible gasp from Heidi.

 

"Oh no." he can practically picture the woman clutching her heart in despair, "That's such a bummer. I really liked Chris, I guess he had me fooled." 

 

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a matte black Rolls Royce stop in front of Meagan and her group of friends and shocked is not even the word when he watches her bid her friends farewell and slides into the car.

 

The fucking wheels were so goddamn tinted he couldn't see who the fuck was driving and he knew that the car was far above fucking Sophie's CVS checks combined.

 

"I know, Heidi. He had me fooled as well." he grits his teeth.

 

To really seal the deal, he thinks about possibly inviting Heidi out for some drinks later but, he pushes the thought from his mind because the last thing he needed for his fucking ego was to expect some super busty and fuckable temp but instead be met with a goddamn Grandma with fucking dentures.

 

(Dan was horny but not _that_ horny)

 

"Well, I will pass along the message to Ms. Brookheimer right now." Heidi consoles him much to his amusement and glee, "Take care Mr. Egan." he hears the smile in her voice. 

 

"You too, Heidi." he smirks to himself in the mirror, "God bless you." he throws in for extra measure. 

 

He gets off the phone, feeling all kinds of awesome, getting mentally excited for the fireworks he's set up for his pleasure and success. 

 

Amy will be so fucking livid and angry when she finds out what Dan's done, no doubt.

 

But there's no doubt in his mind how _livid_ she'll be when she finds out all of the shit her 'spotless' boyfriend has done in his past.

 

And when Dan receives a message from the private investigator he's hired to check Chris out for him, he's practically giddy.

 

God was this going to be entertaining as fuck. 

 

And he couldn't fucking wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all of the love and support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter (and Dan's suffering-it only gets worse from here, lol)
> 
> Make sure to leave a comment and or kudos! It's greatly appreciated and heavily encouraged!


	3. Mama's Little Helper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sure, she was mad at Heidi (And had every right to be).
> 
> But Dan?
> 
> Trying to measle his way back into her life after all these years and to now include Meagan into his scheme of coming back into her life? 
> 
> She was livid at an astronomical cellular level to the point where she was seriously debating on sending one of Jonah's many swoon-worthy secret agents to wherever the fuck Dan was to teach him a goddamn lesson for once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, Okay, Okay. 
> 
> The support I've been receiving for this story is simply insane and amazing and overwhelming and I'm like forever grateful that you lovely people take time out of your days to support my stories and me!!
> 
> I added two chapters (So there'll be ten chapters) to this story just because there's no way I can fit all of the plot points and ideas I have planned in the span of eight chapters so, there's no way in hell this story will be finished before Veep's series finale which means this will be an official AU. 
> 
> Hopefully, some of you stick around after the show goes off airing to continue this story with me if not, it's totally fine and I completely understand!
> 
> But, again, there are not enough words for me to express how much you guy's support means to me so again, thank you from the botom of my heart!

"Maybe we could have him do a quick interview on Jimmy Fallon?" Bill suggests as he takes a seat on Amy's couch as Teddy strides back and forth, "He seems annoying enough for people to be on Jonah's side." 

 

"The problem is that he's already annoying." Amy musters out as she takes a seat on her wooden desk, crossing her legs, "We need someone whose charming yet graceful enough to not make a complete and utter fool of Jonah during the interview." 

 

"What about Colbert?" Michelle pipes up from her spot near the large whiteboard, "He's handsome, funny and can make a complete and utter nitwit seem an inch smarter than they actually are." she suggests, playing with the whiteboard marker in her hands.

 

 "Colbert is CBS so, we get a nice, friendly interview going with him and Jonah-secure the public's trust in Jonah again, train him so he can win over some new supporters and it could work," Teddy speaks up as he takes a seat on one of Amy's leather couches

 

"Not to mention the fact that he's never explicitly disrespected Jonah on air. Sure, a few smart-ass comments here and there but never anything absolutely terrible to the point that Jonah hates his living guts." Michelle suggests, scrolling through her IPad and taking a step closer to the whiteboard.

 

"Colbert it is." Amy gives an approving nod, "Michelle, get into contact with the booking agent for Colbert and offer them a joint interview with both the FLOTUS and POTUS, let them know that they wish to talk about their kids, living in the white house, Beth's 'Feed the Hungry' campaign and Jonah will do a brief blurb on the new Welfare Families executive order." Amy grabs her phone and begins typing an email for the Public Relations Interns.

  

Michelle finishes writing the words 'Colbert Interview' on the whiteboard and turns to look at Amy.

 

"I'll have the interns start drafting up questions for the interview and bring the Speech Coach back in to give Jonah and Beth responses they need to say during the interview." Michelle closes the cap on the pen and walks away from the large whiteboard, taking a seat on the couch next to 

 

"Speaking of the Sequoia Shitstalk, where is he?" Teddy turns his body and looks around the room in search of Jonah.

 

Then the room goes mute and everyone takes a minute to themselves, craning their necks around and peering around Amy's room searching for Jonah.

 

"I thought he was in his office." Bill looks panicked for a minute

 

"I thought he was back at the residence." Michelle runs a hand through her blonde waves as she types furiously at her IPad screen.

 

God dammit.

 

For all she knew, Jonah could've gone pressing all of the shinest buttons in the whole damn building just to entertain himself (And also, to see exactly what happens when each button is pressed).

 

Ah, Jonah.

 

Sure, everyone around her was usually setting her up for disappointment by making her believe that they were heading towards a small inch of change. But again, it was Jonah she was dealing with; the chances of him quite possibly changing for the better went down the drain ages ago. 

 

"Well wherever he is, I need his long-ass stature in his office in the next thirty seconds so I can give him a debrief of what's going on with this bill he needs to sign that he has no idea about." Amy heaves herself off the desk and begins furiously typing a text to Jonah, threatening to perform a vasectomy on him with a pair of children's scissors unless he gets to the Oval within the next few seconds.

 

(And there's no problem with her saying that to him- if anything that's the only way to say stuff to Jonah. Mention the prominent removal of his balls or manhood and he'll do whatever the fuck Amy pleases) 

 

One of Jonah's secret service agents, Elias opens the door for her as she struts out of her office making her way down the heavily decorated hallways. Between her social media accounts, Mom, Meagan, Chris and the team helping her throw Chris' birthday party, her phone is practically buzzing to life with the millions and millions of notifications and the headache that induces from it almost makes her want to just call it a night believe it or not.

 

But, considering the fact that by doing that she's only further encouraging them to try and get into contact with her, she decides to just power through everything like she normally does because again, it's what she does best 

 

She corners a turn as Elias takes a few long steps in front of her (To open the door of course) until Heidi practically jumps in her seat and calls for her attention with that innocently annoying chirp.

 

"Ms. Brookheimer? I have a message for you from-"

 

"If it's Meagan, tell her that Chris is making dinner tonight. If it's Chris, tell him that I'll be home at the same time tonight. If it's my Mom, tell her that I am indeed _not_ pregnant and to get her head out of those CVS tabloids Sophie manages to drop off for her and if it's the party planners, tell them that my dress will be either red or gold and Chris will be wearing all black with a hint of either red or gold depending on what color dress _I_ wear."  Amy rattles off from the top of her head as she begins firing off texts to each individual person messaging her considering on what they need. 

 

Heidi clears her throat and combs a hand through her black bob, "No Ms. Brookheimer, it's from Dan Egan."

 

And it's like everything fucking stops.

 

Nowadays, every time someone mentioned his name she felt like fucking Wendy every time Casper snuck up on her unexpectedly, making his presence known-if Casper was a Grade A dick, got Wendy pregnant with a kid and hauled ass from dealing with the emotions of their circumstances then proceeded to fuck every woman who wasn't her, then you would have Dan.

 

Amy shuts off her phone mid-text and crosses her arms in front of her chest, staring down at Heidi like she's the stupidest woman in the whole fucking world (Which makes sense considering the current situation at hand). 

 

"And you made the executive decision to go against my orders because?" 

 

Heidi's smile vanishes as she extends an arm out to Amy's with a bright orange sticky note, scribbled in her perfect handwriting. 

 

"I called him like I was ordered so I could inform him that he was blocked from any potential contact with you or anyone else apart of this administration per you and President Ryan's orders but, he informed me _during_ the call that he had a message pertaining to Meagan."

 

Was he joking?

 

Did he lose all of his money and beginning selling his overly expensive Prada suits for pounds and pounds of cheap cocaine?

 

"He's never even  _met_ Meagan." she grits out, feeling her body begin to prickle in anger.

 

"And I understand that Ms. Brookheimer, I just figured, _you know,_ since her father called you wanted to hear what he had to say." Heidi begins to sink self-consciously in her office chair, beginning to feel the anger radiating off of Amy's body.

 

"What could've been so fucking important that you had to break my instructions for him to tell you." Amy's eyes zero in intensely on Heidi who nervously plays with her fingers in her lap.

 

Heidi points a shaking finger at the overly bright Orange post-it note and Amy practically unfolds it in fury open to read the message to herself.

 

_'I would like to meet with you privately to discuss this living arrangement that I've drafted up for Meagan. I know that Chris hasn't exactly been on his best behavior lately and it's keeping me up at night knowing that my daughter is in the hands of that man.'_

 

Amy crumples the note in her hand and folds her arms over her chest defiantly, "A man you've never met before basically alluded that he wants my child to live with him and you haven't called me or security yet?"

 

Heidi takes a deep breath and shakes her head slowly.

 

"He had mentioned that he was Meagan's father." Heidi tries and it only infuriates Amy.

 

She's so angry.

 

She's so fucking angry she could knock over the overly-decorative Owl ornament lamp off of Heidi's table and straight to the ground but she tightens the grip on her phone so unbearably tight that Heidi's eyes are practically bulging from their sockets at her.

 

Even though she probably should, she figures it's useless to waste more time with Holly fucking Hobbie, explaining the strict and mandatory safety procedures of her job as the fucking Personal Secretary of the White House. 

 

Instead, she puts the verbal ass-kicking Heidi is due on the back burner and begins to focus on what's important. 

 

"Where's Chris?" Amy frantically turns to Elias whose eyes widen in surprise at Amy's sudden burst of energy.

 

Agent Elias shrugs and straightens out his posture. 

 

"I haven't seen him all day, Ma'am." Elias gives a cautious nod, "I can have an Agent run to the Security House and put in a request for a search of him." 

 

Fuck, this was all moving too fast. 

 

"No, no. That's fine." Amy takes a deep breath for the first time in ages, "Just...make sure that you keep an eye out for him and the minute you see or get into contact with him, tell him that we need to talk and that it's an emergency." Amy begins walking back down the hall to her office with Elias nodding in agreement and going down the opposing hallway. 

 

As she makes her way back down the hall to her office, her mind is racing a million miles a minute and everything in her eyesight is a goddamn blur. 

 

Sure, she was mad at Heidi (And had every right to be).

 

But Dan?

 

Trying to measle his way back into her life after all these years and to now include Meagan into his scheme of coming back into her life? 

 

She was livid at an astronomical cellular level to the point where she was seriously debating on sending one of Jonah's many swoon-worthy secret agents to wherever the fuck Dan was to teach him a goddamn lesson for once and for all.

 

She practically slams her office door shut after giving firm instructions to everyone in the room not to bother her unless Jonah had managed to sink the whole goddamn country underneath the Ocean. 

 

The minute she's in her office, she's all deep breathing and frantically pacing around her goddamn office like an idiot. 

 

Suddenly Meagan's stopped answering her texts and phone calls which only sets Amy off even more especially because one, Meagan is always on her goddamn phone and two, she knows how much Amy hates being ignored. 

 

The last thing she needed to find out was that Dan managed to find out what school Meagan goes to and to confront her at school because Amy's not mentally sure on how to have that conversation with her fourteen-year-old daughter. 

 

There weren't any books or blog posts on how to emotionally and mentally prepare your high school child for any potential run-ins with their deadbeat fathers. 

 

(Not like she'd be caught dead reading a fucking parenting book by any mean, she just didn't know how to approach such a taboo topic with her kid)

 

So, after her millionth text to Chris, she finally decides to throw in the towel and call him.

 

"Hello?" she hears a voice on the opposite side of the line. 

 

"Chris? Where are you?" she demands with a sigh of relief and begins pacing back and forth in front of her black and white artwork hanging over one of her three couches. 

 

Chris laughs on the other side carelessly, "Just picked up Meagan and we're going to the Dance Store to pick up these tap shoes Meagan ne-"

 

"Hi, Mom!" Meagan chimes in on her usual, crisp tone that brings Amy a sliver of relief. 

 

Meagan's safe. And that's what calms Amy down a bit, knowing that Meagan is where she's supposed to be, out of Dan's reach. 

 

But still, she doesn't wanna take any chances. 

 

"Chris. You guys have to go home." Amy says with a small voice, trying to keep calm since she knows the speaker is on and Meagan's listening to this entire conversation.

 

"What. why?" Meagan speaks up and Amy circles around her desk and slides into the large office chair.

 

"Its just...something happened at work and I need you to go straight home, okay?" she informs both of them but is really speaking to Chris at this point, "Just please, go home."

 

"But my tap shoes." Meagan's voice goes up an octave in protest, "I need them for rehearsal tomorrow. My old ones fell apart last week and you promised t-"

 

"The tap shoes aren't important right now." Amy hates how her voice tenses up and goes fierce in an instant, "Chris, turn the car around and go home, _now."_

 

She hears Meagan groan dramatically as she can practically hear Chris running a hand through his hair as he drives and chews on his bottom lip-the image so clear in Amy's head that it's almost calming. 

 

"Ames, are you okay?" Chris offers, "I can come and pick you up at the office?" 

 

And that's what frustrates her all over again.

 

She doesn't need or want people doubting her fucking orders. When she wants something done, she wants it done that instant. No ifs, ands, or buts about, just do what she fucking says. 

 

"Will you two just do what I'm telling you to do for once and go home?" she snaps without hesitation, "Christ, would it kill you two to just listen to me for once?" 

 

"Babe, take a deep br-"

 

"I'm breathing, _Christopher."_ she jolts upright in her seat, "So stop telling me what the fuck to do and go home, _now."_ she orders the pair and hangs up the phone without missing a beat after doing so. 

 

There's a moment when after she's hanged up the phone and she's sitting in her chair, trying to wrap her brain around all of this. 

 

There's no doubt in her mind that the minute she gets home, she'll have to face Chris after practically shouting at him over the phone like a fucking mad-woman and from the telling silence on his side over the phone, she can tell he won't be too happy with her. 

 

But every time she tries to distance herself from thinking about Dan, it doesn't work. 

 

She had done all of the physical cutting off of him, blocking his number, her getting a new number, blocking him on all social media accounts (For her and Meagan's accounts) and making sure that security was always tight around her and Meagan at all times. 

 

But she knows Dan.

 

She knows that this is all part of a game that he's trying to play with her head and she's not for it. When she told him goodbye all those years ago, she fucking meant that. She did it for her and Meagan and she'll be damned if she jeopardizes all of the hard work and sacrifice she's taken to keep the two of them away from him for all of these years. 

 

It's not like she was worried of Dan physically hurting her (That's something she knew he wasn't really capable of) but mentally hurting her? She knew that he was more than capable of it without fucking realizing it.

 

And it was that reason alone for her to want him nowhere near Meagan. 

 

If she, a grown-ass-woman was left emotionally scarred and mentally drained from her relationship with Dan, then there was absolutely no way in hell that her fourteen-year-old child could hold her own. 

 

Then there's a knock on her door and she's brought back into the harsh reality of her work life.

 

"Come in." she groans, not putting in any effort to sound more appealing. 

 

Then Michelle peaks her head in with an understanding look on her face as she grasps what seems to be a five hundred folder marked with different colored highlighters, post its and annotation foldouts. 

 

"I know that you're busy so I'll be brief." she holds a hand up, "I decided it would be wise to construct an Autopsy report of all of Jonah's media appearances throughout the years so we could really pinpoint the problem and go from-"

 

And she can't help the laugh that escapes from her throat. 

 

Michelle looks at her in confusion, "Is...is there a problem?" 

 

"No, no." Amy gives her a warm smile and sits up in her seat, "It's just...I made an Autopsy report for Selina's campaign when she decided to run for reelection and she shut me down before I could get past the introduction of the damn thing." she rolls her eyes at the mention of that memory.

 

"Yeah, Tom did the same thing along those lines when I tried to present it to him during his reelection as well." Michelle rolls her eyes and takes a seat on the couch. 

 

Fuck, maybe they were a little bit more alike than Amy had thought. 

 

"Whenever your free I can go over some of the data I found." she offers, "Just so you have an idea of what information is relevant to what." 

 

Amy runs a finger on the thick bound papers and smiles to herself. 

 

She's always appreciated a hard-worker. Probably because it let her know that she wasn't the only person doing her goddamn job in this office of incompetence. 

 

"Are you free now?" Amy raises an eyebrow, "We can strategize and talk shit over Margaritas." 

 

Then Michelle's eyes roll back in satisfaction as she claps her hands, "Sounds heavenly. I can grab my coat." 

 

"Perfect." Amy thinks to herself the tart and sweet taste of the Raspberry Margaritas at the Bar only ten minutes away. 

 

* * *

 

 

"So what's your relationship with Tom like?" Amy says feeling looser than ever after her fourth (or maybe fifth) margarita. 

 

She watches as Michelle takes a slow sip of the liquor and throws her hair over her shoulder.

 

"It's fine, I suppose." she shrugs as she keeps her eyes down, "He's not a deadbeat so it could be a lot worse I suppose."

 

Any Amy laughs at that because she knows a lot about the fucking deadbeats (Ahem, Dan)

 

"Must be nice." Amy plays with the straw in her drink, sighing to herself heavily. 

 

It was only eight o'clock and here she was getting hammered out of her mind over the sheer thought of Dan trying to bring down her stable environment for some bullshit proposal he was trying his absolute hardest to sell her. 

 

So she believed she had every fucking right to let loose for the night. 

 

It's not like she was missing much at home anyways It was probably better for her to not be there since she was such a raging bitch to both Chris and Meagan over the phone but, she's certain the two of them would get over it after a while and return to admiring one another like one of those annoyingly cute Father-Daughter pairs. 

 

"What? Is Chris rethinking this whole Stepfather thing?" Michelle questions with her eyes widening after asking, "Fuck-not in that way but-"

 

"You're fine." Amy gives her a slight smile, "And if anything it's quite the opposite, really. He's fully invested into this whole Stepfather thing that it's scary sometimes." 

 

"Why?" Michelle studies her, "That sounds like a dream. A handsome guy who seems to really love you taking on the responsibility of raising a kid that's not his with you."

 

"It is." Amy feels the alcohol starting to settle into her, the vibrations of her bloodstream pulsating and the sluggish feeling beginning to take over her, "It's just...I want this to go well, you know? Like I want this to work out because it's really all I've ever wanted." she feels herself smiling.

 

And maybe it's the alcohol that has her face flaring in a girly blush but, she gets an idea that it's honestly just her true feelings starting to take over her body in that innocent, teenage way she usually tried to avoid.

 

"And Meagan likes him?" Michelle gives a small smile. 

 

Amy can't help but smile as she nods at that, "The moment they met they were a match made in heaven and he's been so great with raising her and everything." 

 

"That's nice." Michelle places her chin in the palm of her hand, "What does her dad think about that? I know Tom got fucking pissy when I started dating after I had the kid."

 

And Amy gulps deeply at that.

 

"Probably hates it. Hates the idea knowing that I'm happy and he's not around to strip me from that like he's done with every other good thing in my life." Amy shrugs her shoulders. 

 

But she can't help herself when she hears about Tom again.

 

"And aren't Selina and Tom fucking again?" Amy inquires because she's genuinely curious because, for the life of her, she cannot imagine Selina Meyer as a fucking Stepmother when she couldn't even be a fucking mother. 

 

Michelle sighs and rubs her temples with her free hand. 

 

"They're _cohabitating._ " Michelle uses air-quotations, "The only positive thing that's come with that is now Gary can make Noah all of the finger-sandwiches he desires so cheers to that." she takes a sip of her drink which prompts Amy to laugh. 

 

"God, I haven't seen Selina in fucking years." Amy shakes her head in disbelief, "I should forward all of my therapy bills to her though, as a parting gift." 

 

Michelle leans forward to grab the Margarita pitcher and pours a generous amount into her glass.

 

"Did you invite Tom to Chris' birthday party this week? I know they're friends with one another." Michelle inquires with a hint of concern in her eyes. 

 

Amy shakes her head and takes a deep breath at the mention of Chris's birthday. 

 

"No. I forwarded most of the invites to his friends and family back in California and his work friends from New York." she combs a hand through her hair, "And pretty much everyone's said they're coming." 

 

"What about Dan? You invite him?" Michelle inquires.

 

"No." Amy shakes her head furiously, "The only way Dan will attend this party is over my goddamn body and I don't plan on that happening if I can help it any time soon."

 

"That's good. You have a busy week ahead of you anyway with Chris' birthday, the Time 100 gala and babysitting Jonah."

 

"That is true." she yawns to herself and her mind just keeps coming back to Dan and wondering what it is he wants. 

 

"It's just..." Amy starts but pulls herself together for a minute before continuing, "How do you deal with a deadbeat?"

 

"It's actually quite simple." Michelle shrugs like it's obvious, "You don't" 

 

And for some strange reason, that might be the best damn advice Amy's heard her whole fucking life. 

 

* * *

 

 

The minute she stumbles into her house, she's happier than she should be. 

 

(That's exactly what happens when you drink eight margaritas back to back, your a lot goddamn happier than you should be and gravity is the least of your body's worries.)

 

Somehow (without falling) she drags herself up the grand fucking staircase of the house (And why did she get a house with the fucking Spanish Steps in her house).

 

For whatever inhumane reason, the lights are all off so she's stuck using her fucking phone flashlight like an idiot aimlessly prodding and stumbling her way around the (Second? She thinks) floor of the house. 

 

She looks down the pitch black hallway and sees the light under Meagan's door is off which means that Meagan is either fast asleep or listening to the 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' soundtrack on full blast underneath the covers. 

 

And there's a warm feeling in her chest that practically pushes her down the hallway to go check in on Meagan and make sure she's okay. 

 

(There's no doubt in her mind that she's okay, she just needs to see that she's in bed, safe and sound for herself)

 

Quietly, she fumbles her way down the hallway and softly opens the door to Meagan's room and takes a few steps towards the large bed that rests in the middle of the large room.

 

She laughs to herself to see just what she had expected to see. 

 

Meagan is sprawled out on her back, airpods still nestled in her ears, soundtrack on full blast and music book opened flat on her stomach as she snores peacefully. 

 

She leans down to remove the headphones from her ears and locates her phone to shut off the music and stops to look at the photo Meagan has saved as her lock screen. 

 

It's a photo of her and Amy when she was about ten and Chris had taken them on a surprise visit to see 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' in New York after Chris had found out it was one of Meagan's favorite movies as a kid. 

 

In the picture, Meagan is wearing a red-sequined dress (Chris had bought her for the occasion to match Millie's outfit from the final number of the show) and Amy's wearing a red trench coat and they're both smiling at each like they're the only two people in the world.

 

And by god does it make her chest warm in happiness. 

 

"Mom?" she hears Meagan's small voice croak out. 

 

She looks down and sees Meagan who looks around at her bed and room in confusion and yawns to herself, "I thought I was downstairs." the sleep in her voice is extremely thick. 

 

"You probably did and Chris put you in bed himself." she hands the phone over to her daughter who plugs it into the charger in her wall. 

 

Meagan runs a hand through her messy blonde mane and groans to herself, "Are you okay, Mommy?" she sighs, "You scared Chris and me in the car earlier today." 

 

Fuck. 

 

Amy sighs and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.

 

 _"Something.._.came up at work and I needed to keep you safe." Amy tries to explain as discreetly as possible. 

 

Meagan grumbles at that, "And I couldn't get my tap shoes because of it?" 

 

Jesus fucking Christ, this girl, and her goddamn tap shoes.

 

Since when was she raising fucking Shirley Temple?

 

"One day, when you're older, I can tell you why, okay?" Amy offers as she leans forward and removes the book from Meagan's flat stomach and drops it on the night table next to her lap that illuminates the room in a soft, maroon light. 

 

"Fine." Meagan yawns and turns to her side, "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight." she yawns much like a cat as she settles herself underneath the covers

 

"Goodnight. I love you." Amy presses a kiss on the crown of her daughter's head, feeling content more than ever.

 

And within seconds, Meagan is out like a light and when the small sounds of her snoring pick back up, Amy shuts off the lamp and tiptoes her way out of the bedroom, closing the door behind her. 

 

Now that she knows that her daughter is safe and sound, in the comfort of her bedroom takes a huge relief off of her shoulders but the minute she enters the master bedroom, the weight hits her again like a fucking dump truck. 

 

Chris is stretched out on the bed, looking worried as all hell with his glasses and pajamas on, frantically typing on his phone. 

 

"I'm home." Amy meekly announces as she closes the bedroom door behind her and begins removing her shoes.

 

Chris looks up from his phone and releases a sound of relief and sits up against the pillows that are practically untouched on the bed. 

 

"Where the hell have you been?" Chris' eyes narrow at her suspiciously.

 

Amy groans and drops her shoes on the floor, practically dragging herself to her walk-in closet.

 

"Out," she calls as she begins to strip herself from her purple dress and dumps it to the side, and begins searching through her closet for her pajamas.

 

"I see that." she hears Chris slide off the bed and approach her closet with heavy footsteps, "I was a few minutes away from sending a search party out for you." 

 

And while some nights she might find that sweet, tonight she just finds it annoying (Probably because she's so goddamn hammered).

 

"That's nice but I can handle myself, Chris." she looks at him defiantly as she peels off her bra and slides on her silk sleep gown and breezes past Chris to head to the bathroom. 

 

Chris groans dramatically and follows her into the bathroom. 

 

"Will you cut the attitude and just talk to me?" he rolls his eyes as she grabs a ponytail holder and slides her hair into a low ponytail, avoiding his eyes. 

 

"We can talk in the morning." she shrugs her shoulders and reaches out for her makeup removal wipes. 

 

Chris laughs at that like it's the most ridiculous idea he's heard. 

 

"Great will that take place before or after your hangover is at its prime? Cause if I so, it makes no sense to talk then." he watches her intensely.

 

All she wants to do is get ready for bed and go to bed at this point. She doesn't need Chris and his fucking protective nagging because she just wants to fucking sleep at this point because, by God, her head is fucking killing her and she feels sluggish as all hell. 

 

"I don't need this right now, okay? It's been a long fucking day and I don't need any of this bullshit right now, okay?" she gives him one final look and eyes him up and down dangerously. 

 

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong." he looks at her like she's crazy. 

 

And she's too fucking tired for this heart to heart bullshit right now. 

 

"Maybe I don't want to tell you what's fucking wrong, have you thought about that?" she throws the wipe against the counter and turns to face him head-on. 

 

"I haven't, Amy." he throws his hands in the air, "I couldn't because for the last fucking hours I've been going batshit trying to figure out if there was a fucking terrorist attack happening. I had to fucking calm down Meagan from a fucking panic attack because she thought Iranians were gonna come and fucking shoot up the fucking Dance Store." he grits at her. 

 

She can't do this right now. 

 

Between this whole Dan thing and Chris being pissed with her, she was fucking tired of men right now.

 

"That's it." she throws her hands in the air, "You're sleeping in the fucking guest room, I'm not dealing with this protective bullshit right now." she rolls her eyes and pushes past him and into the master bedroom without looking back.

 

Chris just groans at that, "Babe, you know I'm fucking right-"

 

And that sets her off even more. 

 

"Then go be right in the fucking guest room by yourself." she peels back the covers and slides into the bedroom without hesitation.

 

Chris stands there for another minute and just shakes his head as he exits the room, grumbling to himself and slams the bedroom door shut. 

 

And she's never been happier to be alone at that moment.

 

(Because at this point, all of the men in the world were starting to get on her last goddamn nerves)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment and or kudos! It's not only heavily encouraging but greatly appreciated!


	4. Say Something, Say Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not like she doesn't want to tell him everything that's going on, it's been a fucking struggle not to. How do you tell your partner of almost six years that your ex-baby daddy was trying to measle his way back into you and your child's life on the verge of said partner possibly proposing to you soon? And it's not like she cared about the whole proposing aspect of it, she just didn't want to...hurt Chris.
> 
>  
> 
> (Fuck, who is she kidding? She wanted that proposal so bad she could fucking taste it and it was embarrassing that she felt so strongly about it.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, the fourth fucking chapter!
> 
> Holy fucking shit, there are 1,063 reads on THIS story alone! That's absolutely bonkers! Thank you so much to every single one of you who have taken the time to read this story, leave comments and kudos! There aren't even enough words for me to express just how much all of your love and support means to me!
> 
> I do hope that even though the show is over, you guys stick with me until the end of this story. It would mean the world to me to keep entertaining you all with my stories! So, thanks to those of you who continue this crazy rollercoaster with me. 
> 
> In this chapter, we meet Dan's sister and see Dan's brother again. For those of you asking who I 'fan casted' for these roles, they're as follow.
> 
> Anthony: Ben Feldman (cause, duh!)  
> Frances: June Diane Raphael 
> 
> Without further ado, here's the fourth installment of 'If I Never See Your Face Again'! 
> 
> Make sure to leave a comment letting me know you thought!

 

 

> _Don't wanna get caught up in the rhythm of it_
> 
>   
>  _But I can't help myself, no, I can't help myself, no, no_
> 
>   
>  _Caught up in the middle of it_
> 
>   
>  _No I can't help myself, no I can't help myself, no, no, no_
> 
>   
>  _Caught up in the rhythm of it_
> 
> _-_ 'say something' justin timberlake ft. chris stapleton

* * *

 

The minute Amy wakes up the following morning she's in complete and utter pain.

 

No, not because of her and Chris' little argument the got into last night (Nothing but a typical spat between them). But because of the fucking hangover that's hammering away at her skull like it's a building in need of extreme maintenance and it's _killing_ her. That's what she gets for drinking away her anger and sorrows with Michelle for hours last night.

 

And it doesn't fucking help that her phone falls off the nightstand because it's ringing so goddamn loud and she's receiving a text message and e-mail notifications every five seconds.

 

Yes, she loved her work but for fuck's sake, could it be a tad bit understanding of her current situation right about now? She's too lazy to have herself over the bed and stretch her arm out to retrieve her phone from the floor because for one, their bed is so goddamn bed and Amy damn near had to heave herself on the thing every night, and the likelihood of her successfully picking up her phone without it falling is zero to none at this point.

 

(Fuck Chris and his materialistic demand over having an abnormally large bed for the sake of 'comfort and hospitality' all in one)

 

When she actually gets her eyes to open, she's met with no light streaming into the room despite the alarm clock on her side table reading _'7:36 am'_. She takes an opportunity to get a good, blurry look at her room and she's so frustrated with the fucking distorted vision her eyes are serving her that she rolls to her nightstand table and fumbles for her glasses.

 

The minute she has her glasses on, the world gets clearer and a small pain on the right side of her head behind her eye begins to disappear almost instantly. Then she sees her room in all of its glory.

 

The sleek glass furniture pieces, the baby blue Chesterfield couch resting directly in front of the California King sized bed, the framed cover of her and Chris' Time Magazine issue hanging proudly on the right side of the wall next to their large window and daybed that overlooks their massive backyard (That they still haven't stepped a fucking foot in since they've moved into this house almost nine years ago)

 

For a second the room doesn't feel like her.

 

The crazy expensive furniture, the decorations hailed from exotic companies across the world and the framed magazine covers adorning the walls. It feels like someone else lives here and not her. Even though the pictures are her, it doesn't exactly feel like her and she can't exactly place why.

 

She loves her life, more than she ever has. She had her kid, her man and successful career where she got all of the respect she was due. 

 

So why did she feel so foreign in her own damn life?

 

She doesn't know why but decides not to dwell on it, knowing that if she does, she'll spend the whole day having a goddamn identity crisis and lord knows that's the last thing she fucking needed on top of this godawful hangover she was dealing with.

 

Then the door opens, snapping her out of her morning crisis and she sighs when she sees Chris close the door behind him as he approaches Amy carefully with a somewhat guilty look on his face and a glass of water nestled in his right hand.

 

She props herself up against her pillows and runs a hand through her now messy hair, clearing her throat as Chris awkwardly slides himself on to the bed with his eyes burning into her strongly.

 

"If you came in here to finish our argument then I must warn you that I might actually vomit all over you." she gives a heavy sigh as she clears her throat, her head feeling like it weighs a million and nine pounds.

 

 _"Here."_ he ignores her, giving her the glass of water and two pills with a knowing look, "I figured that you'd feel like shit right about now." he shrugs nonchalantly 

 

"Well, I do." she takes the water after she dry swallows the pills and shudders to herself, "So thanks for this." she points at the water cup.

 

Then Chris watches her for a minute, trying to figure out how she feels right about now. Don't get her wrong, she loves Chris (with all of her heart too) but right about now all she wanted to do was just go back to sleep and leave Jonah Ryan to go fuck up the country yet again.

 

(And where was the harm with that? It's not like he wouldn't do it if she actually did show up)

 

"I read your letter.. _about_ me for the Time 100 list," he informs her, a small smile stretching onto his lips as Amy takes a minute to appreciate a bare-chested Chris who is only wearing his sweatpants and his reading glasses.

 

"Oh." she adjusts her glasses and rolls so she's on her side and more secure underneath the covers, "Were you surprised?" she tries and can't hide her smile when he gives her a nod in return and he reaches his hand out to stroke her waist over the overs.

 

"You got me, Ames." he nods his head again and meets her eyes for a brief second, "I really liked it." 

 

She gives him a warm smile, falling under the touch of his strong, comforting hands that stroke her body softly over the covers.

 

"Yeah, well the next time you're pissed off at me remember that I wrote you that shit." Amy rolls her eyes, reaching out to take yet another sip of her water.

 

Chris reaches out to stroke her cheek, giving a sleepy smile to her.

 

"I'm taking it you haven't seen your article yet." his sleepy baby blue eyes study her closely as he continues stroking her thigh softly.

 

She musters out a small head shake as she removes her glasses and uses the palm of her hands to rub the sleep out of her eyes and slides on the thick black frames after she's satisfied. 

 

"You wrote my letter?" Her voice is thick with sleep and exhaustion that she cringes at it silently, praying that her real voice musters back in before she returns to work (The last time she went into work with this much exhaustion in her voice, Teddy had made cracks at her the whole day praising her for her 1-800 sex operator voice)

 

Chris licks his lips after a small yawn and strokes the skin of her hand gently like she's a delicate paper doll.

 

"We both wrote each other's letters, we just didn't tell one another at the time because we were both so hell-bent and stubborn on keeping it a surprise." he grins at her in that usual boyish way that's enough to get a blush going on her features so, she tries her best to keep a calm composure.

 

(It lasts all but five seconds until she's smiling up at him like a fucking idiot)

 

Then the guilty sentiment begins to settle at the bottom pit of her stomach and it's enough to make Amy go mute. When Chris looks at her like that, like she's the only woman in the goddamn world, she feels guilty now. And no, not because she was fucking cheating on him by any means (Something Amy would never do in a million years).

 

But because of how open he is with her. 

 

Chris had told her everything about him. His upbringing, his family, and his wild and reckless days as a teenage boy/young adult with the Playboy Mansion as his background and fucking Hugh Hefner as his Godfather. And even though his life wasn't exactly for the fainthearted, he still told Amy all of his faults and flaws before they got serious to protect her heart and she's never dealt with that before.

 

She didn't care about how many women there were in the past, as long as she was the only one in his life in the present.

 

It's a nice gesture though. She never really dated a man who adored her just as much as Chris does and it was nice relief at times. She knew she always deserved it but to actually have it, was a relief of some sorts. 

 

"Where's Meagan?" the image of Meagan's bed being empty haunts her in surprise and she's up at attention, the lingering pain of her headache being pushed to the side so she can figure out where her child is.

 

"It's Thursday, her carpool came by to take her to school." he reminds her.

 

Ah, thank fucking god for that carpool one of Meagan's friends' moms had organized since all of the girls' moms had high-level jobs in DC and couldn't be bothered with rushing their kids to school every goddamn morning (Especially since Thursdays are typically the busiest days of the week in DC).

 

Since Meagan's been handled for the day, there's not really much for Amy to do but roll out of bed and get ready for yet another day of babysitting Jonah and the entire Ryan administration.

 

She takes that information in and reaches out for her phone, taking an opportunity to scroll through the messages and catch herself up on what she's missed for the past few hours.

 

There'at least five missed calls (3 from Meagan, 1 from her mom and 1 from Beth), at least ten text messages with its' senders ranging from Meagan (who is constantly asking for Amy to wake up) and Sophie who all but demands for Amy to give her a ticket to Chris' upcoming birthday party (Which will only happen over Amy's dead fucking body). And that's exactly why she opts to drink with caution because there's nothing worse than waking up with a raging headache, the President of the United States as your client and oh yeah, a plethora of missed fucking calls and texts to deal with.

 

"Has Jonah fucked anything up yet?" Amy questions, not bothering to look up from her phone.

 

Chris shrugs his shoulders and stretches his arms over his head, releasing a heavy yawn,  "You haven't missed much. Just a few persistent demands of the impossible being done but besides that, nothing to be too worried about." 

 

She nods at that and combs a hand through her disheveled hair, taking the opportunity to look up from her phone and let her eyes fall over Chris. 

 

"What do you have planned for today?" she eyes his shirtless body without any guilt, readjusting her body underneath the thick duvet covers of their California King sized bed. 

 

Chris stands from the bed, tying the string of his sweatpants nonchalantly, "We've got our press junket today, remember?" 

 

Fuck dammit, it _was_ press day.

 

Thanks to her excessive drinking the night before and Dan's overwhelmingly confusing demands of interjecting himself back into her and Meagan's lives, her and Chris' already scheduled press day in NYC was honestly the least of her concerns at this point. She's never really been one for press days (Well, that is before she and Chris did them together) so, the thought of driving around the unnecessarily busy town of New York for one too many interviews didn't seem too exciting for her.

 

"Fuck.." she croaks out, her hands flying to slap her face, "That's today?" her voice is muffled from behind her hands as her shoulders tense and square up.

 

Chris looks at her like she's an idiot and shrugs his shoulders, "Yes....you've known about this for weeks." he reminds her, rubbing his eyes with the back of his head, "The clothes you ordered came in last night by the way." he pushes a thumb behind him and towards Amy's closet.

 

So much for a peaceful fucking morning at this point. Between her hangover and tolerance as thin as a piece of fucking paper, Chris' light scolding to her as if she's his daughter doesn't go over well with her.

 

"Don't give me that fucking ' _Daddy_ is _disappointed look',_ I've got too much shit on my plate to keep up with whatever bullshit events you sign us up for." she throws the duvet off of her body and swings her legs off the bed.

 

"Excuse me?" the drawstring Chris has tangled in his hands falls softly right back against his pants as his mouth falls open in confusion with his eyes glossing over Amy like she's having fucking hallucinations.

 

She snatches her phone from the bed and pushes past him defiantly, not bothering to look back after she purposely bumps into him.

 

"I have too much shit going on in my life to give a flying shit about whatever joint-couple interview you've set us up for against my will." she snaps at him in fury, stumbling into her closet and beginning to rifle angrily though her racks and racks of clothing on the 'Work' side of her closet.

 

She hears Chris snicker from a distance and it only infuriates her more when she hears the footsteps beginning to approach her closet.

 

"You're the one who suggested I even book the fucking interviews." he protests defiantly, making his way to the door of her closet and leaning against the wall with crossed arms over his bare chest, "And don't expect me to give you any fucking sympathy for whatever you're going through if you won't tell me." 

 

It's her turn to snicker at that as she pauses her rifling to take a good look at her Emerald and White Bodycon Pencil dress but after taking another good look at it, she breezes right past it (The dress was too 'business-oriented' for their press day today). She figures if she's going on this press day in New York, the least she could do is dress the part despite her wanting to fucking shoot Chris' head clean off.

 

 _"Be still my fucking heart."_ she slaps her hands on her chest, "Sorry I'm going through something in my life that doesn't have you at the center of it all." she turns her back on him and continues looking through her racks of clothing, feeling his steely eyes burning on her from behind with a fiery stare. 

 

"Jesus Christ, do you even hear how fucking _ridiculous_ you sound?" he challenges her

 

"I don't. I fucking don't because I'm too busy being subjected to listening to the bullshit you're spewing all over the fucking place." she rolls her eyes, settling on the long sleeved black romper with a V-neck that's so daring that with one wrong move, her belly-button could be exposed. (Not to mention the fact that the last time she wore this, Chris had practically dragged her from whatever late night Cocktail session they were shmoozing at straight to the private bathroom and fucked her so hard that she had lost her voice from screaming so hard the following day).

 

Chris groans at that like she's suggested he donate his fucking kidneys to some homeless greying man south of Asia and approaches her from behind with his round set eyes looking at her in the mirror she stands in front of.

 

"Jesus. Will you just drop your fucking guard and talk to me for once? Okay? I'm not Jonah or Teddy or even fucking Sophie, you can talk to me." his voice is demanding but drops to a more calm and concerned tone with a look on his face that makes Amy's knees weak and threaten her to almost lose her balance and fall back in his arms.

 

She opens her mouth to speak but a half laugh/sob escapes her throat and her head hangs heavily, the tears painfully stinging her eyes and challenging to roll down her cheeks.

 

It's not like she doesn't want to tell him everything that's going on, it's been a fucking struggle not to. How do you tell your partner of almost six years that your ex-baby daddy was trying to measle his way back into you and your child's life on the verge of said partner possibly proposing to you soon? And it's not like she cared about the whole proposing aspect of it, she just didn't want to...hurt Chris.

 

(Fuck, who is she kidding? She wanted that proposal so bad she could fucking taste it and it was embarrassing that she felt so strongly about it.)

 

She takes a deep breath as her head rises and she blinks away her tears, turning to face Chris head on. 

 

His round eyes are shrinking with confusion, his chest is rising up and down with each and every breath and his jaw is tightened in complete and utter confusion as his eyes rake over her. 

 

"I can't, okay?" the words tumble out of her mouth before she can fix it, "I love you and you know that but somethings I have to keep to myself...and this is one of those things," she explains as she nervously plays with her hands, her eyes resting on the floor because she's too fucking nervous to look him in the eye when she says all of this. 

 

When Chris turns away from her with a loud groan, Amy's stomach practically collapses and she almost throws herself on him as she stumbles over herself insisting that it's not what it seems and that she swears it's nothing awful and emphasizing just how much she loves him (And it's a whole fucking lot). 

 

But he's not having any of it.

 

He just puts his hand in the air and shakes his head furiously, keeping his back facing her. She's never been one to beg, the thought of ever getting down on her knees for somebody seemed like pure idiocy to her but, this may be the closest to her ever doing it (Not saying she'll do it but, she hates it when Chris is pissed with her and she's managed to fuck something up between them, like now).

 

"Chris, just wait for a minut-" she trails after him as he begins making his way to their bathroom and he turns in his heels, in front of the bathroom door biting his bottom lip and a look of hurt playing on his soft features.

 

"Clearly me asking you to talk like a fucking adult was asking too much." he rolls his eyes and turns around to start the shower water, "Don't worry about it though, I'll just do what all good Partners do and ignore you until we're in front of the fucking cameras." 

 

 _"Chris,_ I'm-"she tries to follow him back into the bathroom but is cut off by the wooden door slamming in her face and the sound along with the vibration is almost enough to send her stumbling backward to the floor on her ass.

 

So much for talking it out.

* * *

When Dan hears that Jonah (Or really, Amy) has him blocked from the White House's press lines and entire premise, Dan can't help but shake his head in disbelief and roll his eyes in annoyance. 

 

Jesus, he's always known that Amy could be annoying if she ever really wanted to be but not, it seems like it all just comes fucking naturally and by god does it aggravate the living soul out of him.

 

Would it kill her to remove that pole from her ass? What happened to the Amy that had her panties wet and ready for him 24/7 and when exactly did she go the fuck away?

 

So, he has to get creative with ways to get into Amy's contact.

 

An unfortunately for her, Dan's very creative. So fucking creative that he could give fucking Van Gogh a run for his goddamn money (with or without the ear). 

 

He calls Anthony again to meet him Downtown at the same bar they met at a few days ago (And lucky for him and his ego, the hot raven-haired lesbian bartender that rejected him is nowhere to be seen).

 

But nothing can fucking surprise him when Anthony strolls into the bar with their bitch of a sister, towering over him with her unnecessarily tall heels and her usual bitchy smirk playing on her (overly) sculpted features. 

 

"You brought _her?_ " Dan's eyes narrow at his sister who eyes him up and down in disgust. 

 

Anthony's boyish smile drops as he looks at both Dan and Frances, his head whipping back and forth in confusion. 

 

"You never said I couldn't..." he opens his mouth to protest Dan's obvious disgust with his sister's presence and is caught off by Frances cutting him off with the obnoxiously loud sound of her throat clearing as she shrugs off her tan trench coat.

 

"Well I never fucking said you could." he grits out to his younger brother, tilting his head to the side in irritation and annoyance. 

 

From what Dan can remember, Anthony's done a lot of stupid shit in his time. Stapled his finger with a Stapler, ran into the middle of the fucking street, got hit by a car and oh yeah, willingly doing every single stupid school play and musical within his reach.

 

"Nice to see you too, Daniel." Frances runs a hand through her hair and shakes out the curls, her dangling gold earring jittering in action with the rest of her jewelry following suit.

 

"Frances." he finally addresses his older sister, "Nice to see your plastic surgery deciding to settle in after almost two years.".

 

Anthony's jaw drops at that as Frances' clean-cut jaw tightens at that, her jewel-like eyes zeroing in on Dan.

 

"So." Anthony awkwardly intervenes between his siblings by clapping his hands together, "What is it that you needed, Dan?"

 

He pinches the bridge of his nose because of course Anthony would decide to be his usual nice and caring self and putting an end to Dan's completely genius and completely fool-proof plans. He had only invited Anthony out again because he needed something, not because he wanted to catch up and bond over drinks in a 'brotherly' fashion.

 

(If he wanted to do that he would've opted to have been born in a different fucking family)

 

"I needed you to do something for me." he tries to all but ignores Frances who stares at him like he's the biggest fucking idiot in the whole wide world (Jonah Ryan included) but it's not enough when Frances pulls out a folder and drops it in the middle of the table.

 

"That's not important right now." Frances declares, throwing open the folder and rifling through several baby photos (Dan's truly never seen before) and thousands of pieces of papers, "Our father just died and there's still a funeral needing to be planned." she tosses her brunette hair behind her shoulder dramatically.

 

"Excuse me?" Dan blinks in disbelief, his eyes landing on his brother who has a guilty look on his face, "I'm not helping you plan that fuckers funeral."

 

Frances' eyes flash dangerously at Dan as Anthony's softer, Bambi-like ones holds a small hand up,

 

"Mother's orders. We all have to chip in and plan the service since shes too distraught and drunk to do it." Frances informs him with a teasing smirk. 

 

"Mom's been having a rough time..processing all of this." Anthony chimes in and Dan rolls his eyes.

 

"That's life, who isn't having a rough fucking time." he takes a sip of his drink, mentally preparing to order himself a whole fucking round at his brother fucking detouring his whole plan.

 

"With that noticeably large weight gain I'd say you're having a pretty rough time now," Frances smirks to herself, keeping her eyes down on the plethora of pictures that spill from the manilla folder. 

 

His eyebrows furrow at that as he tilts his head to the side in disbelief because exactly who does his bitch of a sister think she's talking to? Last time Dan checked, she was the one that had a failed fucking marriage and several plastic surgery attempts (And she still didn't look any better from any of those attempts).

 

"Shut the fuck up." Dan rolls his eyes, sinking into his seat.

 

Frances gives a dramatic sigh at that and turns to Anthony with her lips pursed and arms folded over her chest, "I told you we'd be better off doing this entire thing without him, Dad hated him and he hated Dad." 

 

"Dad did not hate hi-"

 

"Yes, he did." Dan and Frances shut down their younger sibling in unison.

 

And it's not like Dan gave a shit whether his father liked him or not. To be quite honest, he forgot that the fucker had dropped dead until Frances decided to drop the family's baby pictures and program layouts in front of him not only a few minutes ago. So, Dan figures that he's the last person who should be planning a funeral for him. Because, if it was up to Dan, he would just toss his casket into the Atlantic and have it do a farewell sink down to the Ocean's crust as Dan treats himself to a vacation of some sorts.

 

It's not like Dan gave a shit about his Dad hating him though. And it's not like he doesn't have a worthy reason behind it (Even if he didn't have a reason, that was fine, you don't exactly need a reason to hate one of the worst people on planet earth). Dan likes to sum up his terrible childhood and neglect to his father and his truly terrible personality and actions.

 

He always finds it funny when people like to chalk him us as a truly terrible human because come on, have they met Frederick Egan? Then nine times out of ten he suspects they've never met him because if they did then there's no way on earth that said individual would even put Dan on the same platform as his father. 

 

"It's his funeral, Dan." Anthony tries, "The least you can do is help us organize the thing since you'll most likely come up with an excuse to not go." 

 

"I won't need to _'come up'_ with an excuse, I'm just not going. Plain and simple." Dan's jaw clenches as he raises his glass back to his lips. 

 

Frances scoffs at that in a strikingly bitchy tone, "No." she shakes her head defiantly, "That's not going to work, Daniel. You're coming to this funeral." she narrows her eyes at him with a look of venom running through her eyes and her veins popping in her think, snow-white neck.

 

Dan chortles in laughter at that, cocking an eyebrow at his sister like she's crazy (Because if there's anything he knows about her, it's that she absolutely is).

 

"Over my dead fucking body." he grits out, taking a much-needed sip of his Scotch.

 

"Keep downing those Scotches and Chicken Wings and we can have that arranged." she sits back in the seat, fixing her red long sleeved shirt, making an extra move of fixing her cleavage so the aging men sitting at the bar near them can get an eyeful of her fake tits. 

 

_Gag._

 

And fuck his sister for being all high and fucking mighty with him, especially on the topic of weight. As far as Little Ms, 'I'm going to down my college fund into all four of my surgeries' was concerned, she was the last fucking person to be talking about weight. And for her to come after Dan?  Bull-fucking-shit, he was the Ice-Man, okay? Just because he didn't live in the gym like he once did doesn't mean that he gained an overwhelming amount of weight.

 

(Which reminds him to set a reminder on his phone to actually go to the Gym soon because it has been a little too long since his last trip there)

 

 _"Guys."_ Anthony holds his hands up, trying to instill peace between his older siblings, "Okay. We're not here to mock each other's totally _normal_ weight gains or to rehash shit from twenty-six years ago. We're here to discuss something important, okay?" his Bambi like eyes bounce between both of his older siblings.

 

Frances slams her folder shut and rolls her eyes dramatically, "Speak for yourself, Tony" she begins angrily rifling through her designer purse and pulling out her matching designer wallet, "I'm here to talk about our father's funeral and he is here to probably ask you for a selfish favor that'll have no positive ramifications on you and or your life. I'm going to the fucking bar." Frances stands to her feet from the table and inches over to the bar, leaving Dan and Anthony at their table alone.

 

When Frances it out of sight, Dan takes it as his cue to turn towards Anthony and give him a knowing look.

 

"I need your help." 

 

"With?" 

 

Dan takes a deep breath after peering over his shoulder and making sure that Frances is far away from hearing whatever Dan plans on saying next. And knowing his sister and her ways, Dan figures he has a good ten minutes to persuade Ben on helping with this particular thing before Frances can do what she does best and talk her out of it.

 

"The Time 100 gala is this Friday." Dan starts, setting his drink on the table and leaning forward on his elbows. 

 

Anthony nods, following along with Dan so far.

 

 _"Yes, it is."_ Anthony gives a deep sigh, slouching against the plush seating, playing with his fingers over the wooden table. 

 

Dan gives one final look over his shoulder and pinches the bridge of his nose, knowing just how dramatic Ben will get when he finally hears what Dan is (kindly) asking for. 

 

"I need you to get me a ticket to the event," Dan admits with his head down and eyes peering with (fake) interest at his drink glass, slowly using his words. 

 

There's a moment of silence and when Dan finally looks up he sees Anthony's jaw is dropped and a look of bewilderment on his face. Anthony looks away from the television set his eyes were glued on behind Dan's head and looks at Dan with a blank expression and fallen shoulders.

 

"What?" Anthony sputters, "You do realize just how difficult it is to get into that event? I _literally_ just got my ticket four hours ago and I'm the photographer of it." he puts a hand on his chest.

 

And this is exactly why Dan would prefer not asking Anthony of anything. Not only was the little asshole totally selfish and forgot about all of the selfless things he's done for him in the past (Ahem, securing him his first kiss and girlfriend thanks to his extensive contact list) but his anxiety was always through the goddamn roof. Seriously, he made fucking Gary Walsh seem like one of the cast members of 'Jackass'.

 

If Dan had it his way, he'd pull everything off on his own (And he knows if it was this way, his plan would've been attempted and executed within the first hours of brilliantly thinking of it). But since Amy and her persistent demands of having him blocked from the West Wing's are set in stone until the end of time, Dan was forced to get creative. 

 

"Just give me your plus one ticket." Dan consoles him like it's obvious. 

 

Anthony gives him a look of guilt like he's been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and cookie crumbles all over his face.

 

"How'd you know that I have an extra ticket?" his forehead furrows at that.

 

Dan rolls his eyes at his brother's sheer idiocy and pinches the bridge of his nose, "Now I do, idiot." 

 

Anthony groans at that and begins rubbing his temples furiously, looking like a mad man all over.

 

"Look. I have some unfinished business to pull off and the only way I can do that is if I'm in that event, okay?" Dan begins explaining and leaning over the table, "It has nothing to do with you or your little photographs, okay?"

 

"Well, my 'little' photographs and I are the ones that could be getting you into the damn party." Anthony squeezes his eyes shut and hits his head against the headrest of his seat, "And I can't just give you a ticket so you can run off and fuck god knows who just for an ego boost, Dan." 

 

"That's not what it's for." he protests, giving his brother a stern look yet again, "As I said, it's unfinished business." he declares, not giving any further details to avoid giving his nosy ass brother more ammunition to use against him if the time ever comes. 

 

The last thing he needed to do was tell Anthony his super secret plans. For one, he'd without a doubt totally chicken out and somehow tell Amy (or worse, Chris) about them then he'd definitely not give his extra ticket which would be the worst possible thing for him to do because unless he gets this ticket, he and his plans are totally screwed.

 

"Who are you even trying to meet?" Anthony shrugs his shoulders, "I mean, whose that important that you need to try and detour my whole night for?" 

 

Dan takes a deep breath and runs a finger over the rim of his glass, bringing his voice down. 

 

"It's Amy, okay?" the words leave his mouth before he can fix it, "I need to talk to her and get some things to straighten out for.... _buisness_ purposes and that's the only time I can do it." 

 

"If you want to discuss business with her, you do what any normal person would do and call her up, not try to infiltrate a private event where she and her partner are both being honored." he scolds Dan.

 

It's Dan's turn to groan and rub his eyes with the back of his hand, "Anthony. You don't know Amy, okay?"

 

Anthony snorts mockingly at that, "And you do?" 

 

It's funny because he does. He knows more about Amy Brookheimer than she knows about herself, Dan's certain that he could write an entire book on just her facial expressions because he knows her that well. He's fairly positive that Chris can't say the fucking same for himself considering their in that sham of a relationship together. 

 

"Believe me when I say I do." Dan gives him a 'get real' look when Anthony's face shows that he's certain Dan is lying What would he have to lie about? Why would he put forth all this effort if he barely knew Amy? 

 

"It's just..." Anthony starts but his mouth closes shut, trying to find something to say to try and persuade Dan that this is a bad idea (but unfortunately for him, Dan is hell-bent on pulling this plan off whether he wants it or not), "I'm not going to get fired over you making an ass of yourself, okay. Amy hired me for this surprise birthday party she's throwing for Chris on Satur-"

 

Wait. what?

 

"Amy Brookheimer is throwing a surprise party?" Dan's eyebrows furrow in disbelief because she sheer idea of it sounds without a doubt ridiculous and he doesn't know whether to laugh or have Amy sent into a mental institution for going off the fucking rails.

 

Anthony's eyes widen in disbelief, "You didn't hear _anything,_ Dan." he points a finger at Dan who absorbs that information and begins thinking of ways to infiltrate this whole party thing that's happening on Saturday.

 

 

From behind, he hears a hark of laughter and he turns to see Frances with her head back and getting awfully close to a stranger that makes Jeremy Irons look like a Senior in fucking high school. He turns back to Anthony with a hurried look on his face as he leans forward with intense eyes.

 

"We can discuss you and your inability to hold secrets later." Dan waves a dismissive hand, "I _need_ that ticket, Anthony." 

 

There's a moment when Anthony plays with his glass in his hands and he takes a deep breath, letting his head hang there for a slight moment. From the outside looking in, Dan can tell that Anthony is trying to explore any excuse his introverted ass has used over the years and regardless of whatever bullshit he spits to Dan, he'll happily beat his ass for old times sake.

 

" _Fine."_ he looks back up at Dan and leans back in his seat, "I'll give you my ticket." he throws his hands in the air. 

 

Dan fistbumps at that because finally after all those fucking years of trying to outsmart Dan, Anthony's accepted his fate as the 'Not-so-smart' Egan and just decided to do what's best and listen to Dan. Had Anthony done this earlier then Dan would've put forth the effort of having a somewhat decent relationship with him.

 

"See? Now was that so fucking hard, I'm telling you had you just decided to start listening to me earlier in your life then I can tell you right now that your life would've been-"

 

"Under one condition." Anthony grits out after a strong sip of his liquor. 

 

Dan's brows drew together in confusion as Anthony's eyes got slightly darker as he took a good look at Dan over his drinking glass.

 

 _"Condition?"_ Dan snickers, "Slow your roll there, Elle Woods. You owe me this, okay? Don't make me get into all of the shit I've done for you growing up partly because I'm too bothered to remember any of them right now.".

 

Anthony's mouth corner turn upward, his eyes gleaming with that look of satisfaction and content he got every time he started rambling about one of his photographs or one of those cringe ass musicals he loved so damn much.

 

"And you owe me this." he declares strongly, folding his arms over his chest, "I'll give you the ticket..if you help plan and attend Dad's funeral." 

 

And it's his turn for his face to do a double take in disbelief. He hoped to god that this was one of Anthony's lame-ass attempts of humor because there's absolutely no way in hell that Dan would associate himself with something ass stupid and time-consuming as his father's funeral.

 

"You're joking right?" Dan chortles mockingly at Anthony

 

"No." Anthony deadpans without skipping a fucking beat.

 

 _Fuck._ The little bastard was serious. 

 

"Anthony, I'm not planning Dad-"

 

"If you want the tickets then that's what you'll do." Anthony shrugs his shoulders and takes a sip of his beverage, not bothering to look Dan in the eyes, "If not, then I'd be more than happy to give the ticket to Frances....help her find a new husband or something." 

 

"You wouldn't." Dan can't even try to hide the desperation and surprise in his voice. 

 

Anthony simply rubs his hands together and leans across the wooden table, taking a moment to play with his glass, "I think I would." he smiles to himself, "Use it as payback at the time you slept with my ex-fiancee." 

 

Fuck, Dan thought they were over that. It had happened so many fucking years ago and if anything, it was a favor on Dan's part because the woman was not all that bright.

 

"That was ages ago." Dan protests

 

"It still stings." Anthony feigns sadness and Dan takes a chance to turn around and look at Frances who has abandoned her bar seat and begins to inch her way back over to their table.

 

"My offer still stands." Anthony notices Frances approaching their table with a wine glass nestled in one hand, which prompts him to scoot over, allowing her into the booth.

 

 _"So."_ Frances joins the conversation, her eyes falling back onto the over-stuffed envelope resting at the center of the table, "Did you ask our little brother to help you pull off whatever egotistical, self-centered stunt you wish to pull off yet or should I go back to the bar to let you two sissys continue talking about it?"

 

There's a nanosecond when they both exchange a knowing look. As much as Dan couldn't believe it, it seems like innocent little Anthony has developed the signature Egan trait of manipulation there mother had tried so hard to erase from the youngest child of the family. Dan doesn't know whether to be proud or disgusted that the same trait he mastered so wonderfully was being used as a weapon against him.

 

"I'll help you plan the funeral." Dan proclaims confidently, knowing his true intentions are nowhere near helping his siblings prepare a burial for their truly awful father. 

 

From the corner of his right eye, he can see Anthony give him an approving nod as Frances looks up from her prized folder and gives Dan a once over look, lingering on him for another minute with her perfectly arched eyebrows furrowed on her forehead.

 

"For the father you hate, you'll help us plan his funeral?" Frances' nose crinkles at him, searching his face for his true motive.

 

Dan musters out a (fake) smile and positive tone, "Of course." he feigns warmth and love (Which is the complete opposite of everything he stands for), "Anything for our beloved father.".

 

Jokes on them though, he'll just take the fucking tickets and claim he's come down with food poisoning or something the day of the godforsaken funeral.

 

Idiots.

* * *

 

"Okay, what about this one?" Meagan saunters out of the dressing room, dressed in a cherry red dress that has a split (That even Amy would have hesitations wearing) and sheer cutouts lining the stomach that makes Amy do a double take the minute she steps before her. 

 

Who is this grown woman and what has she done with her baby?

 

 _"No."_ the words leave Amy's mouth before she has the opportunity to save herself, "Honey, you wouldn't even be able to wear _underwear_ with that dress." Amy lowers her voice even though they're in a private dressing room and it's just the two of them and their designated salesperson, Robin.

 

Meagan looks at her like it's obvious, "I know..that's why I picked the dress." she retorts like it's obvious and it's Amy's whose eyebrows raise in complete and utter surprise. 

 

"Well in that case.. _.no."_ she shuts down Meagan and any other Rated R dress ideas she has circulating in her brain for whatever reason, turning in the plush seat to face the dark-skinned saleswoman.

 

Meagan groans dramatically at that and throws her head back in annoyance at Amy, folding her arms over her chest as she does so. 

 

"It's a pretty dress though." Meagan reasons, holding the silk material between her fingers, " _You'd_ wear something like this." she beckons an open palm to Amy who crosses her legs in her seat.

 

Amy gives a sour laugh at that, taking the opportunity to throw her newly dyed Brunette hair behind her back (She had gotten it dyed in New York in the Afternoon after her and Chris' press run around the city). 

 

 _"That's_ because I'm a grown woman who can afford to buy her own dress." she places a hand on her chest, leaning back in the seat, "Now it's a nice dress but it's just not age-appropriate for you." Amy waves a hand around the dress, giving Meagan a tilt of her head. 

 

The teenage girl sighs at that and turns around to take a good look at herself in the mirror. 

 

It's not like she looked awful in the dress by any means, if anything, the girl looked simply amazing in the dress. But, between the slit and the deep v-neck, Amy wasn't sure she, herself was exactly ready for her teenage daughter to be galavanting around a primarily adult party wearing a dress like this. 

 

It's not like she invited anyone sleazy or pervy to the party (Well, Jonah, Teddy and a few more members of his administration excluded) so, she wasn't worried about that happening but, she didn't want Meagan to feel the need to grow up early just to feel pretty for a night (Where the attention wouldn't even be on her).

 

Call her a prude if you wished but she just didn't feel comfortable letting her fourteen-year-old daughter dress up like a sexed up Bond Girl (Even though the theme for the party was in fact, James Bond).

 

 _"Robin."_ Amy ignores Meagan's teenage daggers and addresses the older woman head-on, "Do you have something more...age appropriate.".

 

Robin's hazel eyes project warmth along with an understanding nod, "I'll go and retrieve the latest collection of Chanel and Calvin Klein for you." she points a finger at the door that leads to the store and exits with a determined stroll.

 

When Robin is out of the room, Amy turns back to Meagan who has her usually bright and cheery face dulled with her jewel-like eyes hooded with annoyance.

 

"Sit." Amy gestures to the empty spot on the couch next to her, patting the empty spot with her free hand as she has her phone nestled in the other. 

 

She watches as Meagan groans and drags her feet to the couch and throws herself onto the empty spot, keeping her arms folded across her chest defiantly.

 

"Okay you, this is the fifth dress you've picked out and it's getting more and more inappropriate with each dress, not to mention the fact that it's taking you longer than usual to find a dress. What's wrong?" Amy reaches out and tucks a strand of her daughter's buttery, blonde hair behind her ear.

 

Meagan's shoulders tense up and she keeps her arms folded across her chest, not moving an inch.

 

"I like this dress." she tries

 

"Meags, you live in leggings, crop tops, _tap shoes_ or your favorite Penn hoodie. Nothing about that is exactly replicating the style you're showing me here." she gestures around the room.

 

She notices how Meagan's eyes stay forward, avoiding to look at her. She knows that look. She knows that look like the back of her hand (Along with everything else about Meagan). 

 

"The dress is pretty." she sighs, bouncing her leg up and down to distract herself from the conversation.

 

Amy leans forward and puts a hand on her bouncing leg, giving her daughter a stern look.

 

"I know it's pretty." Amy gives an understanding nod, "But it's not you....so what's the deal?" 

 

Meagan's face pales as she nervously plays with her hands in her lap, avoiding Amy's concerned eyes. Whenever Meagan does that, Amy knows she's either hiding something or is nervous about something as well. Usually, it was the second option but, she always prepared herself for Meagan hiding something from her.

 

Not saying she's shady in any way, she's just a teenager...so Amy has an idea of what to expect.

 

"There's this.. _..guy_ I like," she admits, nervously keeping her gaze on her fingers that wrangle around in her lap. 

 

Ah. There it is.

 

 _"Okay."_ Amy musters out a deep breath, propping her elbow on the couch and beginning to stroke her neck as she waits for the rest of Meagan's explanation.

 

"And I know you said I could invite two of my friends to the party so I wouldn't be alone that night and they could sleep over at the hotel with us afterward-"

 

"There's no way you're having a sleepover with a boy." Amy cuts her off with a hand raised in the air and an eyebrow cocked at her daughter sternly, letting her know not to fuck around (literally) with this subject.  It's not like Amy had many rules for Meagan to follow, sure, there were the standard ones; No going out until homework is finished, Be home before your curfew of 10:30, and as always, Don't be an asshole.

 

She never really prided herself on a ' _No Dating till your however years old'_ rule because she found it quite pointless honestly. She remembers when she was Meagan's age and while sure, she was as innocent as she could be, it doesn't mean she didn't break her Dad's 'No Dating till your Sixteen' rule (And lord knows Sophie didn't even take that rule into consideration).

 

"That's not what I was asking." the young girl jumps to her own defense, running a hand up and down her arm self consciously, "I just wanted to know if...there was a chance I could bring him to Chris' party as my date?"

 

She smiles to herself, tilting her head to the side as she notices that small blush dimpling onto Meagan's soft cheeks. 

 

"He ask you out yet?" Amy leans forward grabbing her water and taking a much-needed sip.

 

Meagan gives an enthusiastic nod, her long blonde locks moving with each excited movement she happens to make.

 

"He asked me out this morning after Advisory and I tried to call you and tell you but you were busy." she dramatically rolls her eyes, "I feel like I made such an idiot of myself when it happened." 

 

She can't help the laugh that escapes her throat, already knowing full and well what Meagan did next.

 

"You did your happy dance when he walked away didn't you?" Amy runs a finger through the younger girls, butter blonde hair, taking her time as she combs through it neatly.

 

A look of terror flashes across Meagan's face which is enough for Amy to laugh yet again.

 

"A little..." Meagan admits with her shoulders hunched as if the memory is still fresh and the wound is still ripe as ever. 

 

As corny as it seems, she likes moments like this. When there's no pressure, no expectations or no pain. When it's just her and her girl living their lives together the way it was meant to be. She doesn't believe in all of that spiritual mumbo jumbo but, she has a strong feeling that she was meant to be a Mom to Meagan. Whether she raise her by herself or with Dan, there was nothing (and more importantly, nobody) that could get in between her and her girl.

 

 

And she's not mad by any means. If anything, she finds its quite...adorable that Meagan has a crush on somebody. Sure, it's not like Amy was ecstatic about some little asshole kid distracting her daughter from whatever she finds important in her life. But, from the girly smile on her face, she could tell that the girl was seriously crushing... _hard._

 

 "Well, you didn't embarrass yourself _that_ much considering the fact that you're date is still on." Amy adjusts her seating which prompts Meagan to look up at her through her irresistibly long eyelashes (A physical trait she received from her father).

 

"I can invite him?" her voice is high in excitement as she leans forward and takes Amy's hands with her, practically bubbling with excitement in true Meagan style.

 

Amy takes a deep breath and sighs. Usually, she'd tell Meagan to hold off and wait till they get Chris' input on this whole debacle but since Chris' party was a surprise party, she figures that it'll be better to just try and meet the kid tomorrow at Meagan's Volleyball Game, before they headed to the Time Gala later that night.

 

"Yes, you can invite him." Amy gives her daughter a warm smile, "But, you're not getting that dress because you think he'll like it, you're getting a dress because you like it, okay?" 

 

The corner of Meagan's mouth bounces up and down excitedly, her whole body practically shaking in glee.

 

"I will." her eyes blink in excitement as she pulls Amy in for a deep hug, one that's almost enough for her to fall back against the couch with Meagan straddling her like she's a baby, demanding for cuddles like she was once keen to. 

 

"Good." Amy breathes out, taking the chance to run a hand up and down her daughter's back, "Because shopping for boys is stupid."

 

And when Meagan laughs in that usual, girly tone, she can't help but feel warm all over again.

 

It honestly was her favorite sound in the whole fucking world.

* * *

 

She hates feeling guilty. 

 

The feeling of the guilt eating her alive always made her feel sick to her stomach and it's a fucking pain that she's gone the whole goddamn night feeling this way. 

 

The whole press day with Chris, them bouncing from interview to interview he always put her before him...the way he always had. Making sure she was a snack in between interviews, having her water whenever she was parched, and calling for breaks whenever they were in the middle of something so she could put out any fires Jonah had managed to make while she was physically out for the day.

 

God, how could she be so fucking stupid?

 

By letting the sheer thought of Dan Egan intercept her and her entire life was a completely idiotic move and she can't believe that she let herself stoop so low to actually thinking about that asshole again. All those years ago, when she blocked him and his phone number out of her life, she made an effort to keep him away at all times and the fact that she let his little 'threat' impact her so deeply made her feel like a fucking idiot.

 

She's just happy that Dan never got a hold of Chris. 

 

That would be a situation where Amy ends up in jail for Manslaughter on all counts. 

 

When her and Meagan make it back home, it's about ten at night and she makes her way upstairs to the master bedroom, stripping herself of her clothes from the day and jumping into the hot shower to help scrub off the overwhelmingness of this day.

 

(Thank god she had put her foot down on having the Waterfall shower in their bathroom because by god, it felt fucking amazing)

 

Usually, at this point in the night..after they've had dinner and Meagan was settled for the night, they would take a shower together, decompressing from the day and its stressful activities. But tonight is different.

 

Chris is nowhere to be seen and she hasn't seen him since they made their way back to DC at around four in the afternoon, after the chaotic morning of their press run. She has a gut feeling that Chis is still pissed off with her from this morning and even though she doesn't feel like she should take all of the blame, she supposed that she'll man the fuck up and just admit that she's 50% wrong.

 

(Without actually mentioning the Dan part of it all of course)

 

After she's scrubbed herself clean in the shower and the makeup on her face, she slides into her satin nightgown and finishes her nightly routine by applying some moisturizer and brushing her teeth.

 

It's when she exits the bathroom though, she sees him sitting on the Chesterfield couch in front of their bed still dressed in his Red button-down shirt and black dress pants.

 

To her surprise, he stands up and is met with a kiss on her cheek.

 

 _"Hi..?"_ she eyes him up and down suspiciously as he just beams down at her like they're not in the middle of their own personal World War 3. 

 

"Hi, beautiful." he runs a soft hand through her hair, stopping to tuck a strand of it behind her ear (Much like she's done to Meagan earlier tonight at the dress store).

 

There's a pause in the air when he pulls away from her, and she can tell that he's expecting her to just jump for joy (Or what he'll probably prefer, his bones) that he's standing in front of her with all good looks and charm but...she just can't do it right now. 

 

The guilt is too fucking much.

 

"I fucked up." she turns her body away from him, beginning to pace back and forth, feeling the overwhelming sensation of guilt crashing into her body like a fucking wave and she's feeling the shocks of it running through her bloodstream.

 

"You fucked _what_ up?" he eyes her suspiciously, following her manic deep breathing and her stuffing her hands in her hair. His voice is warm and full of concern and it takes everything in her to not cuddle against him like a fucking child, basking in his warmth and the sure protection of his muscles. 

 

She takes a deep breath, turning to finally face him head-on.

 

"I didn't want to talk to you because my ex or really I guess you can say _'partner'_ contacted me and I was worried that if you found out then you would think that I was cheating on you, which I wouldn't do in a million years _especially_ now considering the fact that you're birthday is this Saturday and I've been trying so hard not to worry you that I've been driving myself up a fucking wall trying to make sure that you don't find out about it and... _.I'm sorry."_ the words tumble out of her mouth before she can stop it. 

 

Chris stares at her dumbfounded and takes Amy's hand with his, taking a seat back on the couch. 

 

"That's why you've been blowing me off?" his voice is calm and slow; careful not to set her off again.

 

She musters out a nod and scrunches her eyes shut, "Yes...and I'm sorry, okay? I just didn't want you to worry and force us to fight about it but it's too late because we're already fighting and...I just don't want you to think I'd cheat on you."

 

He runs a finger over her trembling hand, giving her a slight smile.

 

"Calm down, crazy." he shakes his head at her, "I'd never think you were cheating on me. Sure, you were acting weird as all hell but now that I know why, I can understand why you were so stressed out."

 

She releases a sigh at that, feeling a small tear streaming down her face. 

 

"I'm sorry," she repeats herself, her eyes locked in on him.

 

She hates apologizing. It makes her feel weak. But, if she's in the wrong (and she partly is) then she'll do it, especially if it'll prevent them from continuing to fight anymore. 

 

"I'm sorry, too." Chris gives an earnest nod and looks back up at her with his steely eyes, "I should've just let you deal with your shit on your own and only get involved if you had asked me to." 

 

And when she hears that..she feels a weight lifted off her shoulders. She leans forward and wraps an arm around his shoulders, bringing him closer to her.

 

When he brings her down for a slow kiss, she feels at home and all tingly inside. He must've come straight from the bar because she can taste the intoxicating taste of Vodka on his lips and she doesn't exactly hate it for one minute. For a minute, it reminds her of the times when they first started dating and all they could do was head to the bar near the house for a few drinks and Amy would have to head back home because Meagan was still pretty young and insisted on seeing her before she went to sleep every night.

 

He pulls her down so she's straddling his lap, and it gives her the opportunity to do what she does best.

 

She braces her hands on his thighs and ruts against him a few times, relishing in the sweet, erotic sounds of his moans. He sweeps her brunette hair in one sweep and gently tugs on it, letting it slightly pull her hair back.

 

"I like the hair." he compliments, beginning to nibble on her neck.

 

She stifles back a moan and surges forward to place a kiss on his lips, having had enough of his tempting face and soft lips. 

 

 _"Thanks..._ " she keeps it short and simple. She really got it done for his party this week but, she decided it'd be better to keep the element of surprise going until the day of the party when they arrive at the venue and he figures out what's going on.

 

She removes herself from his lap and sinks to her knees, bracing her hands on his thighs after she practically undoes every single button on his shirt. The way his hungry eyes zero in on her as she goes for his pants makes it so difficult for her to just forget about her current task and jump on him.

 

But, she figures since she was kinda the reason why they were arguing in the first place, the least she could do was give him a blowjob.

 

Seems fair.

 

She must be hornier than she thinks because she practically knocks the phone out of his jeans somehow, and the phone falls to the floor next to her knees.

 

She goes to pick up the phone to discard on the bed behind them but as she's doing so, a card slips out of the back cast pocket and lands perfectly in her lap.

 

And her heart fucking stops when she sees the name in black, bolded lettering at the center of the business card. 

 

She's in such shock that she can't even bring herself to picking up the card because if she does then it'll make this whole situation more real than it actually is and she's praying to anyone that's listening that this is just a weird, bizarre sex dream she's in the middle of. 

 

"What's wrong?" Chris's smile fades as he looks down at Amy with concern in his eyes. 

 

Not knowing what to do, Amy looks up at him, pointing at this business card that's resting uncomfortably in her bare lap.

 

"Your....card fell?" she informs him, unsure of what to say.

 

Chris laughs in an _'Oh, why didn't you say so?'_ way and the nonchalant of it all makes Amy's eyebrow raise in confusion and her heart race grow concerningly fast within the next few seconds.

 

He stretches an arm down and plucks the card from her lap with his long finger slightly grazing her thigh.

 

"When I was at the bar, I saw a guy I used to hang out with back in the day," he informs Amy, turning around and sliding the card back into his phone case's pocket, "Dan Egan." 

 

_Fuck._

 

_Fuck._

 

_Fuck._

 

She's pretty sure she sees her whole life flash before her eyes as she tries to control her breathing to avoid setting off any more bells with Chris.

 

"Uh...you know Dan Egan?" she musters out, her voice sounding smaller than ever.

 

He gives her a nod like it's obvious, "Yeah..mutual friends with Dylan, he used to come by the house in Summer when we were teens. We used to go car-racing and all that other boyish shit." 

 

(Dylan was one of Chris' closest friends)

 

 _"Oh."_ the panic settles at the bottom pit of Amy's stomach.

 

"Hey..." Chris gives her a concerned smile, "You okay, babe?" he gives her an _'Are you sure you want to do this'_ look?

 

No.

 

But she says yes.

 

And proceeds to do what she does best at this point.

 

Lie through gritted teeth.

 

Because she's not, whatsoever, o-fucking-kay.


	5. You Don't Know Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fatherhood never really appealed him in all honesty. There was nothing gratifying or enjoyable about having some screaming toddler who demands attention 24/7 and a clean diaper when there was important shit going on in the world. The older he gets, the more he understands why his Dad never put forth an effort with him. Between to tap out early versus find out how shitty you are later in the game.
> 
> But when he sees Meagan, it's different. She's fourteen so she's left the antics of childhood behind as conquers adulthood and that...is something Dan can work with. The girl was smart as all hell (Not that he's surprised by that, he is her biological father) and has already done speeches at whatever teen politics event is going on in the country. From his extensive research sessions, he's learned that she's a top-notch student, stellar athlete, and had a stunning set of pipes on her (He doesn't know who she picked that up from but damn could that little girl sing).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently: It is 3:12 am in the morning and after a series of revision, edits and reworking a shit ton of scenes, I have FINALLY completed this chapter!
> 
> The love and support I've received from this story are quite literally insane, it makes me so happy seeing and reading you guys messages of love, support and excitement about this story and it really makes writing till three in the morning worth it!
> 
> Please leave a comment since it's the best way of letting me know what you liked or (maybe didn't) like about this chapter and I try my best to implement your suggestions into the story so, who knows? 
> 
> Without further ado, here's the fifth chapter!
> 
> I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!

> _And I can hardly speak_
> 
> _My heart is beating so_
> 
> _And anyone can tell_
> 
> _You think you know me well_
> 
> _But you don’t know me_
> 
> _-Ray Charles, "You Don't Know Me"_

* * *

 

"Thanks to Jonah's glasses and Beth giving the entire audience her limited edition cake pop gift boxes, the bill seems to be in good standing right about now," Michelle informs Amy later in the day on Friday, after she ducks out of Meagan's volleyball game and into the gymnasium hallway.

Amy sighs at that because of course, that's what secured them to be in good standing to help get this fucking bill passed. Not the extensive hours the team took preparing the first couple of the United States for a joint interview with the help of coaches but, the sheer presence of cake pops taking over and winning the hearts of America. 

God, she fucking hated this country and the wide-eyed, hypocritical, good for nothing, knows absolutely nothing, dude-bro and side-bitch demographic Jonah's administration was so hell-bent on pleasing and satisfying to get the support they were so desperate on receiving. She hates them just as much as the suburban Mommies and Daddies that always read one article of the Atlantic a month and identified themselves as 'woke' and into politics.

"Do we have a percentage of those against the bill?" Amy begins strolling down the hallways, letting her eyes fall on the brightly colored posters of all shapes and sizes lining the steel, royal purple painted walls. 

She hears a few papers struggling in the background and a few murmurs. "After the interview, CNN ran a poll asking if readers were in favor of Ryancare, 59% of Americans are in favor while 39% are not."

"We need to start some sort of a media blitz aimed at the opposing side to be in favor of this bill." Amy declares, stopping in front of a lime green poster broadcasting the information for the school's upcoming prom (Which was taking place the day of the bill's voting) "Get into filming mode again, book more interviews, shoot more commercials, plan more publicity events, the whole nine." 

"Way ahead of you. The team and I have already started mapping out interviews and brainstorming PR events for the first family to attend, affairs both with the kids and without the kids." Michelle informs her.

Amy combs a hand through her hair as she takes a glace at the game, seeing Meagan on her feet in all her long-legged glory (A genetic trait from her father), bouncing up and down with her signature ponytail flying behind her. 

From the look on her face, her team's faces and Chris' face, she can tell that something important (Well not important to her but important to the game) has happened in the past few seconds of her ducking out and she scolds herself for it. Sure, she couldn't be there for every moment in Meagan's life but, that doesn't mean it didn't sting her.

"Did you see that the kids' school is having their fucking dance the same day as the voting of the bill? I pay too much money for these overly-educated fuckers to plan these expensive ass functions on one of the most important days on the Hill. It's like the KKK arranging for a meeting to be taken place on the day of their county high's football game or some shit." she gives a (fake) smile to a pair parents who walk past her. 

(Don't give her that fucking look, she's on the phone strategizing for judgemental fuckers like you to have Health Care so when you're right asscheek combusts from it's latest surgery, they can go to the doctor's and be covered).

"Fuck, we can't have Jonah make a phone call and just move it to a different date?"

"Or just cancel it completely." she watches Meagan leap into the air and firmly strike the ball over the neck, sending it in a vicious jolt to the opposing side of the court, sending a vibrate through the gym "The last thing this administration needs is a plethora of sexual harassment lawsuits erupting from Jonah moving the prom to the fucking White House. 

They talk on the phone for a bit more, bitching about the sheer idiocy of their children's school to whatever the fuck else Jonah has managed to fuck up in the past few minutes of them being on the phone all while watching the game carefully, making sure to sneak a few glances of the game.

And she's surprised by how much she actually enjoys it. It had been a while since she had a woman who was actually a friend and could make her laugh and (sometimes) forget about all of the stupid shit they were subjected to at work. Earlier in her career, she would've considered Selina to have been _that_ friend; back in the day, when Selina was kicking all kinds of political ass and breaking the status quos of Vice Presidents not doing anything by actually doing shit. 

Before Dan, before the out-of-this-world scandals, and oh yeah, before Selina hated Amy's living guts.  

And that's when she sees him.

Sitting on the opposing team's bleachers, clad in an all-black outfit and a pair of jet-black Zenni sunglasses perched upon his nose and covering his eyes like he's fucking Clint Eastwood in 'Dirty Harry', it drives her absolutely mad and sets a heavy feeling at the pits of her stomach.

"Fucking Dan is here." she grits out, feeling her shoulders tense up and she takes a few steps away from the window and towards the opposing side of the wall.

 _"Dan?_ Dan Egan is there?"

"He's here at Meagan's _fucking_ game. Who the fuck told him about this?" she furiously demands, trying to wrap her hand around what it actually going on right about now.

Here she was, at her kid's fucking Volleyball game with her significant other, ready to cheer on her kid when said child's deadbeat father shows up out of the fucking blue after fourteen years. All she wanted to do was just be a decent parent and support her kid in her extra-curricular activities and she can't do that successfully with Dan butting his head into her attempts. 

"Can he see you?" Michelle offers

Amy practically strides to another mirror, craning her head into the viewpoint to get a good look at him just..sitting there like some kind of evil genius scoping out the scene in front of him and deciding exactly how he'll ruin this situation and turn it into his favor.

"He's too busy scoping out the scene in front of him, fucking degenerate." her eyes flicker to the opposing side of the gymnasium and she sees Chris having an animated conversation with one of Meagan's friends' Dads, Arthur.

"Does Chris see him?" 

"I don't think so, he's too busy talking to Ivy's dad on the other side of the gymnasium." her fingers fan out over her chest, tugging the necklace that rests on her neck, "Fuck! What is he doing here? You figure a selfdom prick like himself would make his appearance at a more relevant game than this one." her arms fold almost automatically over her chest. 

"I have to get ready for the gala so, I wish you the best of luck in dealing with your deadbeat baby-daddy/former co-worker who made his illustrious appearance after fourteen years." 

Amy bids Michelle farewell and plunges her phone in her jeans pocket, keeping her eyes on both Dan and Chris carefully.

From the look of concentration on Dan's face, she can tell that he's trying to possessively locate all of his genetic physical traits on her daughter's body and that's what sets the fire off within her.

Meagan is _her_ daughter. Not Dan's, Chris's or anyone else's. If Dan wanted to appear out of nowhere after years and years of being a deadbeat, that's fine, but if he thinks for one moment that Amy will willingly let him anywhere near her child, he's lost his rabbit ass mind fucking ages ago.

She quickly slides herself back into the boisterous gymnasium and locates Dan who sits at the very top right corner of the bleachers with one leg perched up his arms resting on his knee with his chin sitting peacefully in the palm of his hand like he's some doting and dedicated father who is just marveling at the athletic ability of his darling daughter. 

As she approaches him, she takes one last glance at Chris to make sure his eyes are still focused on the game (And lucky for her, he's completely 100% focused on the game that's going on in front of him).

Her feet carry her as fast as it can handle down the row of the colorful bleachers, making her way down to Dan who keeps his eyes fixated on the game ahead of him. 

He doesn't fool her for one goddamn second. 

She knows she can hear him and from the footsteps that vibrate on the bleachers, he should know that she's pissed the fuck off. 

"You have two goddamn minutes to explain to me why the fuck you're here." she takes a seat near (but far) away so in case Chris actually seems them, those weird possessive feelings he swears up and down he never feels can take over and they're arguing on their way to the gala.

Dan tears his eyes away from the game (Or really, fawning over Meagan) and lets his gaze fall on Amy, a smirk that's all boyish charm curve onto his thin lips knowingly.

 _"Amy._ Always nice to see the mother of my child." 

It takes every inch of sanity she's been holding on to for years to not reach out and punch the noticeable weight gain clean off of his body, the desire to do it is so strong that she practically has to clench her hands in her fist to curb the desire. 

"Showing up after fourteen years of abandonment does not grant you the right to referencing the child you abandoned as 'yours' you overly-possessive neanderthal." 

With a swift move, he removes his glasses and bares his freckles to Amy who has to bit back the image of Meagan's Dan-like freckles dotting across her face as if the devilish spirit of Dan purposely placed each and every freckle strategically to remind Amy time and time again that Meagan is his replica whether she likes it or not. 

(And she does not like it for one minute)

"Ames. I wanted-"

"I don't know who you think you are stalking my child and I but I'd appreciate it if you cut it the fuck out before I get the Secret Service on your ass. And I know they'd do it in a fucking heartbeat considering the fact you slept with Escobar's wife all those years ago." 

"Somone seems hostile." Dan rolls his eyes dramatically (And seeing him perform it in his dramatic flare is all the confirmation she needs to know that it's yet another intolerable trait Meagan's picked up from him), "I take it Heidi gave you my message." 

"Heidi broke Presidental orders by allowing you to infiltrate our million dollar communication system with your incessant demands of taking over my life."

Dan returns his eyes back on Meagan (who is now sitting on the bench, taking her well-deserved break), taking a chance to let his eyes study her carefully, taking in the rest of her exterior.

"I figured she would've gotten my hair color." 

"She did." Amy admits crossed, "Had you actually stuck around, you would've known that she was born with brunette hair and as she got older her hair got lighter and she eventually turned blonde." 

He's quiet at that. 

"Why'd you call Heidi?" Amy can't help herself at this point, all but forgetting the game that's taking place in front of them on the court. "We haven't spoken in fourteen years and all of a sudden you're demanding to speak to me when there's nothing for us to speak about." 

It was driving her crazy. It's not like there was anything lingering in between them that was so important and or interesting that required for them to be in communication with one another. Sure, he gave her Meagan but he's also given her years and years of trust issues and oh yeah, more issues than fucking vogue (And that was just from the whole Abortion thing he tried to force onto her)

Instead of opening his mouth like a fucking adult, he pulls out his phone and pushes it towards Amy after an abnormally long amount of time scrolling. 

When she looks down at the phone, she sees a photo of a younger, shirtless Chris on a boat surrounded by a group of at least five women of all skin tones and skimpy swimsuits as Chris has one arm wrapped around one woman's waist and his other arm resting on one woman's thigh comfortably. 

"Your boy-toy and I knew each other back in his party days and take it from me when I say that he's a goddamn womanizer." he gives Amy a stern look, "He used to fuck girls then their sisters, and sometimes even their Moms if he ever got that bored. And the fucker got bored _often."_

"So like you?" Amy's eyes flash dangerously at him.

"I had to learn it from somebody." he shrugs with that fucking smirk making its way back onto his thin lips.

"And I should care about this because?" 

Dan looks at her like she's lost her fucking mind and it entertains her. Stupid fucker really thinks he's gotten something over her with this irrelevant factoid he's trying to serve her on a fake silver platter. If anything, the joke is on him and he looks like a fucking clown whose stepped right off the Clown Bus because she's seen this photo ages ago and has already gotten the real backstory from none other than Chris himself. 

"You should care because you've publically shacked you _and_ my kid up with this douche nozzle." he points at the phone like it's obvious, "I mean C' mon Ames, the fucking Couples Quiz for Buzzfeed with your Ex-Playboy boyfriend? Try to be more subtle with your antics before people find out you're in a PR Relationship." 

She can't help the laugh of disbelief that escapes her throat and she doesn't hate it for one minute. 

(He's talking about the recent interview she and Chris had done during their Press Day in New York. They were invited to the Buzzfeed offices to do one of those dorky Couples Quiz interviews and even though they were in the midst of their own World War 3, he managed to keep her laughing with a smile on her lips during the actual filming of the interview, all but forgetting that she wanted the strangle the living shit out of him.)

She wants him to know just how stupid she thinks he is right about now. 

"I take it you've been watching our interviews." she laughs at him (Because she fucking can), "I don't know whether to be flattered or disgusted by your clear and apparent obsession with Chris and I's relationship."

"Bull fucking shit, Amy. You know damn well that the old Amy would've thought that what you're doing is completely over the top and stupid and would've never put yourself in a situation, let alone a relationship like this." 

"You hate Chris, I get it, plenty of men do. But there has to be another reason for you to track down Meagan's information and show up to her game. What is the reason?"

Dan looks at her for a brief second and whatever he knows is probably weighing heavy on him. Either he's getting older or his acting is getting worse because, by god, she can't help but snicker in disguise at his lame attempts of trying to shock her. 

"I want to meet Meagan, okay?" Dan admits, finally looking Amy square in the eye, "And none of that ' _Nice to meet you'_ bullshit but I want to have a fucking relationship with her. I don't like being on the outside looking in watching you and some asshat who doesn't deserve to raise my child, raise my fucking child. I at least want some sort of a relationship with her." 

"You should've thought about that before you fucked some fresh out of puberty waiter with the same name as your daughter." she grits out, not giving him an inch, "...and what makes you think for one minute I'd be dumb enough to let you measle your way into my daughter's life?" 

Meagan's life was fine the way it is. She had a mother who loved her, a father-figure who also loved her and all of the support and structure she needed to be successful in life. She didn't need Dan whatsoever, in all fourteen years of her life, Amy worked her ass off to make sure she would never need to rely on her deadbeat of a father to be there for her. 

"I know things."

Ah, so it seems like nothing's fucking changed. 

It's not like she was expecting him to bare his fucking soul or whatever but it just rattled her to the core knowing that Dan is out living his life, feeling that he owns Meagan just because his sperm decided to be productive for the first time in its life. 

"And that's where I exit." Amy rolls her eyes, standing to her feet, "Do me a favor and stop stalking my daughter's social media on fake accounts, she doesn't need to worry about her deadbeat father entering her life."

She gears herself to walk away, the way she's fantasized of doing to him all these years. Letting him see what could've been getting the fuck away from him because really, it's what he deserves (And screw it, she may swing her lips from side to side and show him what he's _really_ missing).

But his voice stops her. 

"I know about the sex tape." 

And it feels like everything stops around her. The cheers and chants from the people watching the game goes mute in between her ears and the sight of Chris laughing with a group of the girl's fathers sends a sickening jolt down her spine.

She knows exactly what he's talking about and from the silence on his end, she can tell that he knows he's got her. 

She hates it. 

She hates every single minute of it.

"What sex tape?" she re-approaches him with fire in her eyes and her steps feeling heavier as they stomp into the bleachers.

Dan leans back against the bleachers, crossing his ankles as he rolls his shoulders back with a small moan as he takes a second to unwind, "With Mallory Sierra, before she broke into the porn industry and sleeping with political powerhouses to help get their dicks up."

This can't be happening. 

There's no way in hell that he should have any knowledge about that. Chris had kept that tape secured and out of the public's knowledge for decades and the only way Dan would know is if Chris told him up front at the bar last night. But she's so confused with Chris' antics lately she can't even decide on whether or not Dan told him about the tape.

"Who told you this?" she folds her arms over her chest self-consciously.

Dan slides his sunglasses back on, "I have my ways." 

She's never wanted to punch him more than she does right about now and it's fucking straining her soul that she can't fucking do it. She can already hear Meagan's whines of disappointment in her actions on the way back home. 

To be quite honest, she doesn't exactly know what's wrong with the tape. He's certainly not the first television personality to have a wild sex-capade caught on tape but, from the way Chris had (briefly) admitted it to her during one of their arguments when they first started dating, it was something he wasn't exactly proud of doing and he was hell-bent on keeping it out of the public's knowledge for as long as he could knowing that if it was released..he'd be fucked.

Because she loved him (and more importantly) trusted him, she let it go to the back burner and suppressed her feelings about it. It's not like she did it because she was so in love with him that she would automatically forget everything he's done in the past but because she felt like what was done in the past was meant to be left in the past for a reason.

Had she dwelled on what had transpired in the past, she still would've been working with Selina, being in a toxic relationship with Dan and not having Meagan (which is pretty much the only thing she's ever wanted).

So, she forgot the past as much as she could. 

"You're blackmailing me?"

"I wouldn't call it that." he shrugs like it's nothing, "More like me looking the other way."

She could tell him to go fuck himself sideways in the Atlantic Ocean for all she cares, or even fulfill a long-held dream of hers by kicking him in the fucking dick (Something he so rightfully deserves) but she knows it'll be no use.

She knows him too well. If she were to do what she wants and walk away from him, the constant stalking will continue and the demands of him seeing Meagan will be so strong he'll most likely do everything in his power to just force himself into her life. 

She's lucky that he even did something out of the usual by actually talking to her first before running to the press with all of the information in the world on Washington DC's most illustrious personality, who just so happened to be Amy's partner. 

"What do you want, Dan?" 

"You know what I want, Ames." he looks at her over her glasses, "Just let me at least try to have a relationship with her."

There's a moment when it feels like it's all too much for her so, she turns her body to get a good look at Meagan who is whispering in her friend, Mikayla's ears, pointing a finger at the game unfolding in front of them.

(Sometimes when shit is getting too overwhelming for her, she takes a good look at her kid, if she's around, to remind herself of who matters the most at the end of the day)

"I suppose you can at least meet her but _nothing_ else she doesn't want to do." she points a finger at him, ignoring the winning smile that stretches onto his lips.

"Sounds like a deal." he rises to his feet from the stands, giving an up and down look to Amy (which makes her jaw clench in fury at the sights of him eyeing her like he owns her win Chris is on the opposing side of the gymnasium), "Oh, you can unblock my number now..I may stumble across some more information you may want." 

And he's gone.

* * *

April 23rd, 2033

_Vanity Fair_

_ **Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake turn heads and steal hearts at the Time 100 Gala Red Carpet** _

_**Photography: Anthony E.** _

_**Article: Marsha Mentroiz** _

There aren't many couples who can say they've been inducted into the Time Magazine's iconic lists of the World's Most Influential People.

And there are no couples to say they've been inducted in the same year, on the same list, and write swoon-worthy essays for their significant others.

That's where Chief of Staff, Amy Brookheimer and Famed Television Personality turned Presidental Media Consultant, Chris Blake come in and make history as the hottest couple in the nation's capital. Brookheimer (who had dropped jaws by showing off her newly dyed Brunette hair in silky Old Hollywood curls) was dressed in a skin-tight Versace Ruby Red gown with Gold safety pin accents (That her stylist, Lydia Paker, hailed as a tribute to Elizabeth Hurley's iconic Black Versace gown) while Blake (who was also dressed in Versace) donned an all-black tuxedo (and in true Blake fashion, without a tie).

The couple made a dramatically late entrance to the carpet (20 minutes _before_ the carpet was closed), taking the time to pose for hysterical photographers who were all more than eager to snap photos as the couple of the evening made their way down the carpet. 

And the excitement for this power couple didn't stop there. 

As the two made their way into the building, they were automatically greeted by various fans ranging from actress Demi Moore to political powerhouses such as Danny Chung (Who seems to be one of the latest people eyeing the Presidency in the 2034 Presidental Election) greeting the pair and stopping them for small talk.

When it was time for the two to give their speeches (Brookheimer started off the night with her speech while Bae closed out the ceremony with his testament), it reminded the room exactly why they were the _'It'_ couple of the Hill. 

"...he's based his character and career off the sheer principle of using the privilege he has been granted since birth to help those who aren't as fortunate get the help they need, desire and most importantly deserve." Brookheimer gave the audience a warm smile as she read her speech.

"I'd like to thank my beautiful but most importantly smart partner for breaking her status quo for little ol' me and doing a speaking engagement without charging me the thousands of dollars her management usually charges." Blake had quipped, the audience (And thankfully Brookheimer) breaking into a chorus of thunderous applause.

At the home stretch of the evening, it was tough to locate a dry eye in the room when Blake had taken the stage to honor the woman of the hour (or as he mentioned in his speech, the woman of his life).

"...Amy is the clear cut example of an individual who has not let the egotistical beliefs and or actions of her peers, both past and present, intercept what she believes in fighting for. I may be biased  but I firmly believe that she is one of the sharpest minds in politics right now and will go down in history as one of the greatest political minds of all time." 

So, when can we expect our wedding invitation?

* * *

"What the actual fuck are you doing here?" Amy approaches the bar with her eyes burning into Dan's overly gelled hair, thinking of all the ways she could possibly take him down with her bare hands. 

"Getting a drink, what are _you_ doing here?" he gives her a look like she's crazy and if he fucking steps over the goddamn line one more time, she'll show him who's fucking crazy. 

"I have every right to be here, asshat." she puts her hands on her hips, "Who's Great-Grandma did you have to fuck to get a goddamn ticket here, Dan?" 

He laughs at that as he leans forward and takes a sip of his drink, letting his eyes gloss over her body.

"I'm liking the Brunette look, Ames." he gives her an approving nod (Knowing how much it riles her up, relishing in her reaction), "You have to be a special kind of freak to be able to pull off both Blonde and Brunette." 

Dan leans against the bar counter, resting his elbows on the table behind him as he looks at the scene unfolding in front of him, marveling at the way Amy's shoulders tense up and her grip tightens on her phone, a frustrated flush painting her silky white facial features.

Dan likes her like this. He likes seeing her all hot and riled up because he knows damn well that he's the only person that can do it to her and still have her coming back to him at the end of the day. 

Something tells him Chris can't do what he can do and he knows damn well that because of that fact alone contributes to about 75% of her anger right about now. He should feel guilty but he doesn't, it anything he feels the sweet sense of nostalgia like they're back in the EEOB building, trying to prevent (and sometimes failing) Selina from making a fool of her fucking self while riling her up just for the hell of it.

He misses it, not the Selina part but definitely fucking around and getting Amy all riled up part. 

"Why are you here?" Amy's eyes search him for answers. Between his chiseled features, blue Prada suit and his perfectly styled hair, Amy can't read between the lines and figure out his intentions and she hates it. Before everything ended between them, she could at least get an idea of what he was brewing in his pea-sized head but now, she can't read anything and it's frustrating the living soul out of her. 

"My brother requested I come with him." 

Brother? Dan willingly hanging out with his fucking brother? What was this the goddamn fucking Twilight Zone?

"You expect me to believe that you got here because the brother you fucked over so many times let you use him for your own personal gain, yet again?" 

If this is the same " _I apologized less after banging my brother's fiancee."_ brother then Amy's going to fucking scream and be committed to a mental institution.

"Since the recent death of our father, we've reconnected since," Dan informs her with a look that has no inch of sincerity or even affection but a look that reads manipulation and the signature Dan Egan charm Amy's fought so hard to forget and put on the fucking back burner. 

"Your Dad died?" Amy raises an eyebrow at him.

"Yep." Dan even takes a long, dramatic sip of his drink, emphasizing just how much this whole death has 'impacted' him when in all actuality it ignited a fire that needed a spark inside of him. 

Fatherhood never really appealed him in all honesty. There was nothing gratifying or enjoyable about having some screaming toddler who demands attention 24/7 and a clean diaper when there was important shit going on in the world. The older he gets, the more he understands why his Dad never put forth an effort with him. Between to tap out early versus find out how shitty you are later in the game.

But when he sees Meagan, it's different. She's fourteen so she's left the antics of childhood behind as conquers adulthood and that...is something Dan can work with. The girl was smart as all hell (Not that he's surprised by that, he is her biological father) and has already done speeches at whatever teen politics event is going on in the country. From his extensive research sessions, he's learned that she's a top-notch student, stellar athlete, and had a stunning set of pipes on her (He doesn't know who she picked that up from but damn could that little girl sing).

Sure, parenting a teenage girl is easily that last thing Dan would ever have on his mind. But, if the teenage girl was half him and Amy, then maybe, just maybe the kid would make it worthwhile and he could take the kid to levels she's never even thought of before. With his help, he knows he can get her into an Ivy League school she sets her eyes on (Without him having to pay her way in of course).

If Amy ever knew about any of this, he's certain she'd have him maimed. 

"Sorry to hear that, Dan." she offers, still watching him carefully like he's some rabid animal that could fly off the handle at any moment, "But who's your brother?"

Dan smiles to himself, enjoying this moment more than he could've ever imagined.

"Anthony. Anthony _Egan."_ At that moment, Dan's never been prouder of his brother and his lame-ass skills of taking a good ass photo. 

The look of horror on her face when it dawns on Amy that's she's been dealing with Dan's brother for the past few months makes everything worthwhile and he wishes up and down he could've gotten a photo of the look on her face.

A reaction of abhorrence settles in her stomach and she has to hold back the reaction of wanting to hold onto whatever is nearest to her to keep her steady because she just can't believe that this is all happening right now, at this moment on this day, at this event.

"Your brother is Anthony?" 

"Yep." he smirks at her, "I know us Egans are hard to resist, Ames. It's apart of our charm."

It makes no sense to her. 

Anthony had always been so sweet and kind to her whenever they worked together and even though know, she can kinda see the resemblance between the two, nothing in Anthony's personality seems anywhere close to relation in Dan. 

Then she feels an arm snake around her waist, pulling her in possessively close and this moment gets a million times worse for her. 

"There you are, I was wondering where you had gone." Chris smiles down at her, completely ignoring Dan, "People are so excited to see you, it's insane."

"I'll bet." Amy grits out, feeling both Chris and Dan's eyes boring into her intensely, waiting for her to make her next move.

"Chris, this is Dan Egan...Dan, this is Chris Blake." she takes the safe road, introducing them to one another, trying to get over the awkwardness in the air.

Chris strokes her waist dramatically, sending jolts of energy and comfort down her spine, "No need to introduce us, Ames. We know each other already. Right, Dan?" Chris steps away from Amy and doing one of those weird manly fist bump hugs right in front of her as if she's not even in the fucking room.

Is this actually happening right now?

"Chris, nice to see you again." Dan gives Chris a disguised smile that lets Amy know that something definitely is up and he's hell-bent on pulling off whatever evil mastermind plan he's been brewing for the past few years.

"I came over to tell you that Michelle needed to speak with you, something urgent and work related." Chris bends down to whisper in Amy's ear (But the bastard is smart enough to make it a stage whisper so Dan can still hear their conversation and silently wish he was apart of it.

She can't leave her partner alone with her.... _ex-partner?_

Between Chris' possessiveness and Dan's evil nature, Amy can only see the conversation ending in one way, drinks being thrown, fists being flailed around and oh yeah, all of them being kicked out of the fucking ceremony she's being honored at and ending up on the cover of the New York Times being escorted out of the Gala. 

She looks Chris square in the eyes, trying to make sense of what he's telling her and she knows him too well. His baby blue eyes stare down at her, waiting for her to oblige and just walk away and since they're in public and they can't afford to make any more mess, she just gracefully exits and makes her way back over to the table, trying (and failing) to shake the thought of the two of them interacting.

Now that Dan had Chris alone, it was time to do what he does best and make him fucking sweat.

Truth be told, they weren't friends or really acquaintances when they were younger. If anything, Chris was always that guy who had always thrown the sickest parties Los Angeles or New York had ever seen. Dan had always attended the parties with a few of his friends to score a few babes and booze to help network in his earlier days when he was a Junior in college and so forth.

But, he does remember how much of a slut Chris Blake was (and probably is).

He had always had a girl (or three) resting comfortably in his lap or under his arm at whatever party he was throwing and was well known for always leaving his own parties to participate in a more intimate party of his own in the master bedroom including just him and at least four drunkenly horny girls who catered to his every fucking whim.

Dan never knew whether to be impressed or jealous. 

There's no way he's changed though, not a chance in fucking hell. No man on Earth would ever be so stupid to trade in their player card for the doting family man and dedicated father card, that shit never happened. 

"It's great you took my card last night. Thanks to CBS's numbers tanking after getting rid of a certain host, I'm a hot ticket and I can already tell that the two of us can do some serious damage together." Dan takes a sip of his Scotch, salivating at the thought of his plan actually going through with a knife in the middle of the road. 

It all made sense. 

He had given Chris has business card at the bar purposely so Amy could see it, freak the fuck out, beg Chris not to work with him only for Chris to disobey her ishes and work with Dan, use the bastard for his own success, get into contact with Mallory Sierra, have her drop the tape with some sob-story that'll make the public turn against Chris, drop Chris, go to Amy, help Amy successfully rid of Chris both personally and professionally and everyone wins (Well, everyone except Chris, which was perfect with Dan). 

Chris laughs at that, beckoning a finger towards Dan and plucking a flute of Champagne from one of the waiters who happen to pass by and gives the young girl a small wink.

"That won't be necessary." he takes a sip of his flute, ignoring Dan completely to take a good look at his matte black watch. 

Dan blinks at him in confusion because what the fuck is this asshole talking about? 

"Figures. You want to go right into something easier, no big deal." Dan gives a hand wave, "I was thinking that we could some sort of a panel interview with all of the key players in the Ryan administration, I would be sitting in as a Media Consultant of course and-"

"I'm sorry? Did you think me taking your pity attempt of a business card was me offering you a job?" he laughs at Dan as if he was a toddler that dropped a fuck-bomb during daycare. 

Dan laughs in disbelief, exactly _who_ does this asshole think he is? 

 _"Pity attempt?_ You were the one who wanted the card." he defends because Chris was the one in fact who had suggested Dan give him his card (Well, not really, Dan had kinda...offered the card one too many times and Chris probably got so annoyed with his attempts he just took one). 

"That's because you were like a little fucking Girl Scout trying to sell the rest of the Trefoils without your Mommy's help." Chris gives him a dramatic pout and tilting his head to the side, "You offering me your lame ass attempt of a business card made of card stock is the quickest way to _not_ get hired in this administration, especially when my fourteen-year-old stepdaughter has business cards made of nicer materials than yours."

His shoulders tense up in aggravation because this isn't what supposed to be happening. 

Chris is supposed to be on his hands and goddamn knees practically begging that he doesn't release this sex-tape on him and make his life a complete and utter hell. 

So, he rethinks his strategy.

"Meagan's my fucking daughter, you asshole." he gives Chris a smirk.

Chris laughs at him like he's childish, "Was that your lifeline or some shit? Because it kinda sucked, no lie." he gives Dan another pout, keeping a cool, calm and collected smile on his lips, waving at anyone who dares to walk past them, "And it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together to know that Meagan is unfortunately yours."

_"Unfortunately?"_

"You heard me." 

"I don't think I did." Dan challenges him, "Why don't you auto-correct that fucking statement before I punch your fucking face in?" the anger starting to erupt at the pits of Dan's stomach. 

It's taking everything within Dan to not punch this asshole's fucking face in. Who is he to declare that Meagan is better off without him? 

Chris takes one good look at him and takes another sip of his drink, looking Dan up and down with mocking eyes and an unimpressed look playing on his face. 

"Here's the deal, Egan. You left Amy high and dry while she was pregnant with your child because you didn't want to man the fuck up and take care of a kid. Had you thought with your mouse-sized brain rather than your asparagus sized dick then maybe, _just maybe_ you still would've been with her but since you decided to be a fucking idiot, you deservedly so lost everything good that could've happened to you and it all deservedly so, ended up in my lap." Chris places his hand on his chest, giving a devilish smile. 

"The minute Amy finds out your using her for your political gain, she'll dump you flat on your ass." 

And Chris cackles even harder at that.

"Unlike you Dan, I'm good enough at my job where I _don't_ need to think with my dick to get myself further ahead. After I propose to Amy, legally adopt _my_ daughter and we get married, you'll still be on your ass, scrolling through Amy's Instagram furiously jerking off to whatever she posts and we'll be happily fucking in Rome or wherever the fuck she wishes to go for an impromptu honeymoon." 

"Your daughter?"

"Yes, Dan. _My_ daughter the one you abandoned fourteen years ago and I so gracefully stepped in and became the best fucking father figure a child could have." he dusts off his tuxedo and gives Dan a warm smile, "Don't worry though, she knows absolutely nothing about you stalking her account or you trying to force Amy to abort her."

"Now if you excuse me, it's time I go honor my fiancee to be by letting everyone in the whole wide fucking world know just how amazing she is so she can repay me by giving me a blowjob back at our three-story mansion." he pulls himself together, giving Dan a wink, "Chin up Buttercup, retirement is just around the corner for you." and with one final chuckle, he strides his way over to the stage, leaving Dan alone at the bar feeling like the biggest loser in the whole fucking world 

He doesn't stick around to hear Chris's speech.

Instead, he goes back to the drawing board.

If Amy wanted to be difficult and sick her boyfriend on him, then fine, he'll just fight fire with fire and fuck Chris' alleged mistress that his private investigator had found during his extensive research.

"Candi? It's Dan."

Two can play this game, Blake. 


	6. Why'd You Have To Go and Make Things So Complicated?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The teenage girl releases an unimpressed sigh and throws her straightened hair behind her back, fixing her glasses.
> 
> "Personally, I don't feel comfortable having a relationship with somebody who rejected me all my life," Meagan admits strongly, her attention turning to her phone for a brief second, "He left us when we needed him most and I don't think it would be right for me to let him into my life when we've both worked so hard getting to where we are now."
> 
> Fuck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAYYY. 
> 
> So, every time I update this story I'm always so moved and blown away by just amazingly kind and supportive you guys and your comments are and there's genuinely not enough words in any language for me to express just how much it all means to me so, all I can say is thank you SOOOOO much and I love and appreciate every single one of you from the bottom of my heart. 
> 
> And to all of you who CONSTANTLY send me messages on Tumblr, asking me questions, sending me comments and giving me your predictions, you're the reason why I stay up until two in the morning (Like now) writing this chapter and I greatly appreciate it!
> 
> And for those of you who were asking about the titles I name after songs that inspire, I do have a playlist for this particular story and have included the link for you!
> 
> So, without further adoooooo, here's the next chapter!
> 
> Please leave a comment since it's the best way of letting me know what you liked or (maybe didn't) like about this chapter and I try my best to implement your suggestions into the story so, who knows?

> _[ 'If I Never See Your Face Again' on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5hGBh5f0aTgAbFANLfcXgG) _

* * *

> _Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?_
> 
> _I see the way you're acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated_  
>  _Life's like this you_  
>  _And you fall, and you crawl, and you break_  
>  _And you take, what you get, and you turn it into_  
>  _Honesty and promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it_

-'complicated' by avirl lavigne

* * *

 

Amy sleeps like shit that night. 

Not because she's stressed from work (If anything, work is the calmest thing in her life right about now) but really because of just how the Gala went and her mind mulling over what had transpired.

She didn't see much of the confrontation between Chris and Dan because Chris had sent her away before it took place so, she had to settle on sneaking a few over the shoulder glances towards the two men at the bar. All she knows is that whatever was said between the two resulted in Dan storming out and not sticking around for the remainder of the event. It's not like she was mad by any means about Dan leaving (If anything, she was thankful that he left), she was just confused as to how everything played out between the two.

It's not like she had the chance to ask him what had transpired between the two of them. Between the cameras and constant journalists hassling them to comment on a plethora of tabloid topics, she wasn't exactly able to sit down and confront him over what happened last night. Then by the time they got to their hotel, they were too fucking exhausted from the day that they fell into bed without even bothering to check in on Meagan (who had thankfully been sleeping in a room down the hall).

There's so much to do today, in terms of Chris' party that when she rolls over to get a look at the time on her phone (It's 8:17 am), she really should start getting ready for the day. She had a phone debrief with the Teddy, Bill, and Michelle at 9:30 and promptly after, she had to start preparing for the party; checking in with the party planner and making sure the venue was squared away, having Madelyn drop off both her and Meagan's dresses and most importantly, keeping Chris occupied until the party starts.

"Mmm..you think too much." Chris rolls over and drapes an arm over her waist, taking the chance to stroke her waist, "Relax, babe."

That's the problem. She can't fucking relax knowing that Chris and Dan are apparently the best of friends and could've spoken about literally anything that floated their boats last night. Knowing the two of them as well as she did, there was no doubt in her mind that they could've discussed all of the things she didn't want them to talk about. 

"I can't help it." she keeps her eyes focused on the turquoise colored walls of the room.

"You can't?"

"I can't." she all but confirms with her voice steely and focused.

She hears the covers shifting from behind, feeling Chris' warmth adjust himself underneath the covers as his hand begins to stroke her back in small circles. 

There's a small yawn that Chris releases stretching his arms over his head, "Any particular reason behind that?"

They could have this conversation right now. She could roll around and confront him about what the actual fuck is going on between them and this whole Dan debacle and just get to the bottom of things because she's sick of this unnerving fucking tension fizzing between them.

Having had enough, she rolls over and looks Chris square in the eye, doing something she's been waiting to do for days.

"How do you know Dan?" her voice is tense and business-like.

Chris looks at her like it's obvious and shrugs his shoulders, "As I said before, he was one of the guys that I knew back in Californa."

"You guys seem pretty close for him being ' _one of the guys'_." she watches him carefully.

A soft laugh escapes his throat as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes, sitting up against the pillows.

"What are you afraid that I had an affair with him or something?" he challenges Amy, "He just was one of the hundreds of bodies at the parties I used to throw." 

Amy rolls her eyes at that, combing a hand through her messy brunette mane.

"I just don't feel... _comfortable_ with him being around me," Amy admits because it's the truth. Ever since his phone call with Heidi, Dan has been pushing the envelope (literally) in all these different ways to try and get into contact with both Amy and Meagan. 

"Because?" 

She doesn't want to tell him the whole truth though (As hypocritical as it may sound). If she opens herself up to feeling the emotions he's put her through and baring her fucking soul to him then she's subjecting herself to hearing what Chris'll think about everything and she doesn't know if she can handle the image or sound of him agreeing with Dan and his demands of her aborting Meagan to please him.

"I spent years upon years working in the same administration as him. He's a self-centered, egotistical, sociopathic Neanderthal that doesn't understand personal boundaries or respect and I _refuse_ to subject myself to being anywhere near him." 

Her chest rises up and down, trying to catch her breath and he blinks at her, trying to make sense of her ranting.

"Ames-"

"I hate him, Chris. I hate him more than words can say."

"But why though?" 

"Because I do." 

She had a million reasons to hate Dan as far as she's concerned, if anything, she should hate him more for the shit he's done to her within the last year of them actually seeing each other. 

"Well then I hate him too." he strongly declares and pats the space next to him, encouraging her to rest her to come closer to his body.

She readjusts herself, placing her head on his broad chest and lets his firm hands rest comfortably on the small of her back while the other strokes the leg she heaves onto his body. 

There's a moment when she's laying on her chest, that she feels at peace. His warmth provides security that she had been searching for years upon years but was stumped to think she could never find it. When it's just the two of them, like this, she's not thinking of anything or anyone else because this is all that she wants.

She wants Chris and his incessant demands. 

She wants him and only him.

Was that too much to ask for?

"What do we have planned for tonight?" he changes the topic of conversation, allowing a chance for Amy to breathe for the first time in fucking ages.

She releases a small, cat-like yawn, curling herself into his warmth, stroking his bare chest with her free hand. 

"Just a nice dinner. Me and you." she lies, giving an innocent smile for extra measure. 

She's _terrible_ at lying. From the way his eyes zero in on her attempt of a poker face, he pauses stroking her back and eyes her up and down suspiciously.

"That's it?"

She pouts (If someone had mentioned his surprise party to Chris then Amy was positive she'd lose her fucking shit. She didn't hire two of the best party planners in the fucking State to have the surprise party be spoiled.)

"Did you want something else?" she raises an eyebrow at him jokingly, deciding to have a little fun with him.

He sinks deeper into the pillow and gently ruts himself against her, letting his fingers dance delicately on her hips.

"Well, I really want you in bed naked with a bottle of wine." his eyes lock in on her lips as she feels a blush coming on.

"Maybe after dinner." she teases, leaning down to gently nibble on his ear the way she knows he likes it.

Technically she's not lying with this though, she had purchased a cream white lingerie bodysuit set from La Perla and had planned on surprising him and changing into it after they returned home from the party. 

Just because it wasn't her birthday didn't mean she couldn't have fun too.

* * *

_April 20th, 2025_

"Mommy? Can I ask you a question?"

Amy looks up from her laptop, not letting her finger stop from furiously racing on her keyboard, typing out a stern yet straight to the point e-mail to Bill, explaining exactly why they cannot afford to let Jonah make an International (or really any) trip alone without a team of at least twenty people waiting at Jonah's beck and call for him to fuck something up.

"One minute, Baby." Amy holds up a finger, "Mommy is sending a really important e-mail for work."

Meagan pads closer to her, the child's small feet softly thumping against the bright white carpeting of Amy's office, her round eyes locked in on Amy as she rapidly types on her Macbook behind her large glass desk.

"But it's _really_ important." she blinks at her, playing with her hands nervously.

Amy looks down at her child for a second, taking the time to adjust her reading glasses (A new addition to her look because, after years and years of squinting at her phone, her eyesight finally deteriorated). 

"Mommy's work is also _really_ important."

Meagan's head darts backward as she groans dramatically, the sight being completely comedic gold to Amy between her daughter's dismantled pigtails and Mermaid Sleeveless Pajama set being twisted all over her small body.

"And you're supposed to be in bed, Missy." it dawns on Amy when she finally takes a look at the bottom of her screen (It was 11:34 at night which means Amy stayed up longer than she originally had intended to), "It's almost midnight, what are you doing up?" 

Suddenly the girl's eyes become wet almost instantly and her little body begins to shake, her head tilting up so she can get a good look at her Mother.

"I can't sleep." she admits dolefully.

In an instant, the e-mail doesn't seem as important. There's an invisible punch that hits her almost instantly in her heart when she leans away from the computer and watches as Meagan's head bows down in shame and the tears come fast and furious, her little hands flying to her face to hide her tears. 

_Fuck._

She didn't know what she was crying about but, from the way Meagan's body shakes as more tears follow the next and slide down her cheeks, falling to her pajamas and leaving wet dots on the soft pink fabric, it didn't take Amy long to slide out of her seat and bend down to meet her daughter halfway.

"Meagan? Are you okay?" she offers, her eyes locked in on what matters most right now-her daughter. 

Meagan shakes her head furiously, her dark blonde hair whipping along with her head. 

" _C'mere._ " Amy stands to her feet, lifting Meagan in the air and letting her wrap her small legs around her torso. She really shouldn't be doing this, considering the fact that Meagan's already six and she doesn't need her growing accustomed to being carried all over the goddamn place (And it doesn't help that Richard, Jonah, and Bill are always being too generous with her and offering her piggyback rides around the office like she's some crippled child who doesn't have two legs and feet of her own).

"Did something happen at school?" she tries as they make their way down the staircase of the third floor and to the second, where their rooms are located. 

Meagan makes a muffled noise against her neck.

Jesus-what else could've happened today? All the kid did was go to school, her after-school program then to her Grandparent's house directly after. Nothing about any of these locations seemed especially traumatic to Amy.

"What about Grandma and Grandpa's? Did something happen there?" she twists open the door of Meagan's bedroom, suddenly feeling a tad bit at ease with the soft, subtle glow of Meagan's green nightlight outlining the room's walls.

What sounds like a sound of agreement comes from Meagan and Amy groans at that.

As far as she was concerned, her Mom and Dad were both harmless around Meagan and in general, any negative comments her father had to make about Amy and her life, he had always made it a point to say it whenever Meagan wasn't around to pick up on it (He learned his lesson after he went on a rant to Amy about her 'dramatic' change in clothing when he had claimed it looked 'she's selling herself to the general public' and Meagan approached him asking exactly what it is her Mommy was selling and demanding to know if anyone was buying it)

She flips on the light switch, the bright white light shining in the room, bouncing off of the neatly painted purple walls.

"Do I have a Daddy?" Meagan breaks the ice after Amy places her into her bed, underneath the thin floral bedsheets of her twin sized bed. 

Fuck dammit, not this.

"Honey...where did you hear that from?" she shuts her eyes, praying that this is all just apart of Meagan's mindless talking or that this is just a fucking dream and she's really sound asleep in her own bedroom.

"Aunt Sophie."

_Jesus._

Leave it to her profligate, promiscuous and completely inappropriate sister to mock her child for not having a fucking father despite the fact that she, herself it two deadbeat daddies in.

She takes a seat on Meagan's bed, right next to her so she can get a good look at her face- there's a look of confusion and sadness on her soft features and it absolutely breaks Amy's fucking heart in half (If that's even more possible at this point).

"What did Aunt Sophie say to you?" 

Meagan chews the inside of her cheeks, "She didn't say it to me, she was talking to Grandma and said that my Dad doesn't love me."

Christ Sophie, easy up on the brutal fucking honesty.

 _"Oh."_ Amy breathes out, not really sure how to react to that.

"She said my Daddy ran away because he was a dick."

Well, she's not entirely wrong but Sophie is as well.

"How did that make you feel?" Amy tries to derive the attention from herself because if she does then she might fucking explode and from how emotional Meagan is, she can tell that she might not be ready to see Amy in that state of mind right now. 

"Sad." she sighs ashamed, "Did he leave because he didn't like me?"

Fuck, not this. 

Amy sighs and tucks a strand of hair that falls from her messy bun behind her ear.

"I don't know why he left, Honey." she admits, "I genuinely don't know why." 

Meagan's eyes go wide at that, her mind racing to understand exactly what Amy's told her and she already feels guilty as fuck. 

Dan never showed up, he never came around and she hadn't heard from him in six years. With Meagan being six, there's no way she'd actually know who she's talking about anyway, it's not like Amy ever showed her photos of him so she can see who her father is. She liked it that way, it secured and protected Meagan from a world (Or really, person) she wasn't ready to know about yet or maybe ever. 

"I don't get it." she leans against Amy and pouts, "Everyone has a Daddy but me."

Yeah kid, preach to the goddamn choir. 

"You have Grandpa though," she suggests, running her fingers through her daughter's silky smooth hair, "and he loves you a _lot_ , baby."

"But he's _your_ Daddy-why don't I get one?" she inquires with a tone that detects she's staring straight through Amy's soft-toned tactics, basically demanding her to man the fuck up and address this concern head-on.

Amy sighs and pinches the bridge of her nose (careful of her glasses).

"Baby. Some people are just born without Moms or Dads and it's never their fault." she tilts her head so she's looking right at her in the eyes, "There are so many people that love you."

Meagan gives a small nod at that and sighs, "I just...I wish my Dad loved me."

Fuck, this hurts.

She cannot even begin to understand how Meagan feels right about now. She had a father growing up, one that loved her as well, so there wasn't much she could actually offer to her daughter at a time like this. She didn't have the greatest childhood by any means but it definitely wasn't the worst by any means. She had two parents that loved her, a nice house in a nice neighborhood and anything she wanted.

It's not like Meagan's life was terrible by any means, if anything, it was quite exceptional. She lived in a nice house, got whatever she wanted whenever she wanted and had so many people who loved her-between Beth, her Mom, Jonah's Mom, and the whole fucking Ryan administration she was showered with all of the love, affection and piggy-back rides one child could receive.

"I know, baby. I know." Amy rubs her arm, bringing her in closer to her body, "I don't want you thinking about that though. Your Aunt Sophie shouldn't have said that while you were around."

"Aunt Sophie is a bitch," she grumbles.

"She is." Amy can't help but agree with her, "But don't say that again, okay?" Amy taps her shoulder, letting her know she's serious. True to her genetic material, Meagan can swear a grown adult up and down if she really wanted to but, she didn't want her child to be running around uncivilized and swearing up a goddamn storm (Ahem, Sophie's kids).

 _"Okay.."_ Meagan snuggles against Amy closer, tucking her head underneath her chin and draping an arm around Amy's waist.

When she looks down and sees the sight of her daughter nestling into her closer, it brings a warm feeling of nostalgia to her chest. Back when she first had Meagan, she wasn't sure if she would ever make a good mom. She barely knew how to cook, was abandoned by Dan, and was tasked with the job of helping the apocalyptic Ryan administration and trying to lead it to success, what did she know about parenting?

Then there were the moments late at night (much like this one) whenever the fatigue from the day hit Meagan, she would curl up against Amy and hold her like she was the only thing that mattered in the world and just like that...nothing else fucking mattered to her.

"Mom?" 

"Yeah, Baby?"

"Will, I ever get a Daddy like you?"

It's not like she was actively dating by any means. The only action she got took place whenever Meagan was far away from the house and at her Grandparent's house, spending a night. And thanks to Meagan's now separation anxiety from her, that wasn't particularly often.

"I don't know, Honey." Amy begs for this conversation to be over soon, "Like I said though, don't worry about it, okay?" 

"Okay." Meagan nestles against her closer as Amy leans forward and peels the covers over her small body, tucking her in after she slides out of the small twin bed.

Once she's satisfied with Meagan being tucked in, she shuts off the lights and bends down to the bed, placing a kiss on the girl's forehead.

"I love you, Mommy." the girl's small voice fills Amy's ear, sending a glow of love through her bloodstream.

"I love you too, baby."

* * *

 "You wanted to talk to me?" Meagan enters the room, sipping on her Starbucks drink.

Amy sighs, keeping her eyes on her phone as she fires off text to Teddy, informing him that Jonah can only do his speech at the party as long as his speech has been edited and reviewed by the fucking Harvard Admissions team themselves to avoid any bullshit being spurred during the night.

"Yeah, take a seat, Honey." she points a finger at the styling chair sequestered directly next to Amy's in front of the large mirror. 

The room goes quiet as Amy's hairstylist, Toni, begins preparing his various tools to begin doing her hair. She would've never pegged herself as someone to have a full team of hair and makeup artist because that's not who she was but, as the appearances became closer and closer and more eyes were following her, she just hired some help on the side. 

She knew Toni back in college and kept in contact with him throughout their first days as two of the bottom of the barrel interns in DC then when she went to go work with Selina, he had opted out and became a high-end stylist for anyone who was anybody. Needless to say, when Amy needed a stylist and she contacted him, he was more than happy to help Amy out considering the fact she was one one of the few people who weren't Grade A dicks to him.

"I'm not in trouble am I?" 

"No," Amy responds, finishing off the text and sending it, "I just have something really important to talk to you about."

Meagan's eyes look up from her phone and zero in on her mother with concern in her chocolate eyes.

It had been a few hours since Dan had informed Amy of wanting to see Meagan and she still didn't really know how to handle the situation. All her daughter's life, it had always been just her and Meagan, facing the world together, side by side, the way it should be. Keeping Dan out of Meagan's life was quite possibly the greatest thing for her mentally.

"What is it you wanna talk about?"

She feels Toni pull her hair from its ponytail from behind as she twists her body to cross her legs and turn to face Meagan.

"Your father contacted me not too long ago about wanting to meet you." she keeps her eyes on her daughter carefully- as if she can explode at any moment, "Is that something you'd be interested in doing?"

Meagan's soft features scrunch at that, her brows settling low on her forehead as her nose crinkles in confusion.

"What's his name again?"

 _"Daniel._ Daniel Egan." she ignores the snort that Toni releases as he begins curling her hair (Toni was present when Amy and Dan had first met all those years ago).

 Meagan strokes her shoulder at that, the discomfort clear on her face as she adjusts her clear glasses.

"I mean, it's weird because I've never met him before and I never thought to have a relationship with him." she nervously plays with her fingers in her lap, unsure of what to do, "Like is there any specific reason he wants to meet with me?"

Because the Ryan Administration can't afford for a sex tape of their Media Consultant being leaked to the general public. 

"Just to meet you and possibly try to have some sort of a relationship with you." Amy sinks into her seat, rubbing her arm up and down, "I just want to know if that's something you'd be interested in doing." 

She watches as Meagan comb a hand through her hair, taking a look at herself in the vanity mirror in front of them. 

"You don't feel weird about this?" Meagan's eyes narrow in on her, indicating that she can sense bullshit, "Like he abandoned us fourteen years ago and suddenly he wants to talk to us?"

"Obviously I think it's bullshit that he's trying to do this now of all times." Amy shrugs her shoulders, leaning back as Toni wraps her hair around the curling wand, "But I'm only bringing this up to you because you'd be the one having a relationship with him and I want to make sure that it's something you want to do."

The teenage girl releases an unimpressed sigh and throws her straightened hair behind her back, fixing her glasses.

"Personally, I don't feel comfortable having a relationship with somebody who rejected me all my life," Meagan admits strongly, her attention turning to her phone for a brief second, "He left us when we needed him most and I don't think it would be right for me to let him into my life when we've both worked so hard getting to where we are now."

Fuck.

When she looks in those big Brown eyes of her baby-the one everyone had sworn up and down she'd be crazy to keep she can't help but feel proud. If only she was as strong and well spoken as her daughter is when she was her age, then Amy knows for a fact that her life would've been different. She probably wouldn't have had an eating disorder, she wouldn't have been Sophie's bitch since birth and she almost certainly wouldn't have made any time for Dan Egan.

"He did." Amy confirms with a small nod of her head, "and if you don't want a relationship with him, that's fine with me."

"Would you prefer for me to meet him?" 

In terms of him not leaking the news of the sex tape, absolutely yes. 

But since Meagan doesn't want to do it and she doesn't either?

"No, not really." Amy shakes her head, "I don't want you doing anything you don't feel comfortable with."

Meagan absorbs that, twisting her body so she sits criss-crossed in the chair, her blonde hair falling into her eyes.

"One day will you tell me about what he did?" Meagan watches her carefully, her built-in bullshit detector radiating in her bister colored eyes, "Like, I've never been given an explanation as to why he left."

She groans softly, looking down and adjusting her robe as she tries to not let her mind race to the dark, deep side of her unwanted memories. She made it a point to never let Meagan know just how despicable her father was, it wasn't only to protect her but really to keep her from getting hurt by a man she doesn't even know. If Amy, a grown woman was left with years upon years of trust issues and self-doubt, there's no doubt in her mind that her daughter (Who is, unfortunately, half Dan's) would be just as emotionally fucked as she is. 

"One thing I don't think you understand about your father is that he was very manipulative and I don't think you're ready to hear the things he had done to me," she speaks slowly.

"But how can I dictate my opinion on him if you won't ever tell me anything about him?" Meagan raises an eyebrow at her a look of disbelief struck across her face.

"He abandoned you before you were born, that should tell you enough about him."

From the way Meagan rolls back her shoulders and chews on her bottom lip, she can tell that she's not taking it for an answer. 

"Because I'm telling you, knowing what I know about him, that you meeting him might not be the best thing for you." 

"I get that, but why won't you be honest with me and tell me what he's done?" Meagan decides enough is enough and adds more bass in her voice, her hands flying in the air as her head tilts.

"It would be better if you didn't know, that's why." Toni finishes a row of curls, letting the hot strands of hair hit the back of her robe, "I'm not going to go back and forth with you on this when you told me not even a minute ago that you have no desire to meet him. End of discussion." 

"Whatever." Meagan stands the chair, grabbing her cup and rolling her eyes (In true dramatic Dan fashion), "I'm not dealing with you and this bullshit today."

Jesus, when did her daughter become a teenage version of Dan Egan and how could she fucking let that happen.

"And I'm not dealing with you either." Amy sternly sits up in her seat, "Now go back to your room and change that fucking attitude before you talk to me again. Understood?"

Call her crazy but there's no way in hell that she's going to lean back and let her kid be a fucking prick, especially to her. There was a lot of shit that Amy let slide from time to time but being an unrequited asshole is not one of them. 

Meagan takes a sip as she turns her back and starts walking away from Amy, mumbling incoherently underneath her breath.

"Do I make myself clear?" Amy's voice is loud and demanding, practically making her daughter turn in fear.

"Alright fine, I understand." she holds her hands up defenseless and gives a look of shame.

As she said, she wasn't raising any fucking assholes. 

* * *

 

_Chris Blake Turns 50! Here are all the details from his James Bond-inspired party_

_E! Network_

_Amy Brookheimer throws partner, Chris Blake, star-studded James Bond-themed bash for his 50th Birthday._

_Daily Mail_

_Chris Blake and Amy Brookheimer's Cutest Moments (Updated)_

_US Weekly_

_Are Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake engaged? Click here to check out Amy's unique ring!_

_I_ _n Touch Weekly_

_'Happy Birthday, Daddy' Presidental Chief of Staff, Amy Brookheimer posts an NSFW birthday message to her partner, Presidental Media Consultant, Chris Blake. Did she go too far?_

_Fox News_

_50 Reasons why I want Chris Blake to be my Step-Daddy._

_Buzzfeed_

_10 Reasons Why Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake might be one of the best Political Couple of all time._

_Vanity Fair_

* * *

 

"What do we need to talk about in a closet?" Chris looks at her in confusion as she bravely pulls him by his hand into an abandoned closet that's the size of a fucking shoebox.

Amy throws her head to the side and nips at his neck, simultaneously running her hand down his chest over his clothing. 

"You look so good." she feels a pool of heat settling between her thighs, "I want you for myself." she rasps against his earlobe, making quick work of undoing his buttons.

Chris licks his lips at that, looking down at Amy with all of the desire in the world, "What about tonight? I thought you had another surprise for me tonight?" he gives her a small pout, his eyes still glossing over her body.

God, he was hot as fuck in general but he was even hotter when he wasn't talking and his lips were on hers and he was pounding away at her.

"We'll get to that later." she breathes against his lips, turning her body so her ass is right on his crotch, the way she knows he likes it, "Just fuck me, _please."_

She feels his broad chest bounce in laughter, the vibrations sending aching jolts of desire through her bloodstream. Luckily, he gets the hint of just how much she wants him and carefully lifts her dress up so he can bend her over the cart of cleaning supplies and fuck her the way she wants him to.

It's not like this was unusual for them by any means, they've snuck out of plenty of events to fuck (And she doesn't feel guilty either, sometimes it got boring at some of the monotone events they were forced to attend and needed to re-energize themselves so they can pull off whatever the fuck it is they needed to at that particular moment). It's just that this time they snuck (Or really, Amy dragged him) out of the party so she can have him all by herself.

Maybe it was how good he looked in his Red Velvet tuxedo.

Or how he had that beard scruff deliciously lining his jaw.

Most likely though, it probably had something to do with the ten tequila shots she had done with Michelle throughout the night.

And from the way she's goading him on and actually daring to call him 'Daddy' is kinda alluding to that. It's not like she was ever really fond of referring to Chris like that, if anything, she kinda repelled it but for some strange reason, when he got her all hot, bothered, begging for more of his sexual charms, and tequila running through her blood, she couldn't fucking help it.

When they're all done and have to do the hard work of pulling their appearances back together, she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling herself close to him and placing a small kiss on his lips.

"Are you having a nice time?" 

Chris grins at her proudly, taking the opportunity to run his hands over her ass delicately.

"The time of my life." his eyes lock with hers, "There's only one thing that'll make it better though."

"What?"

With one swift movement, he pulls a sharply cut, princess cut ring with a rose gold square diamond sitting peacefully at the center and slides it onto her ring finger.

She assumes that since she's been drinking so heavily the whole night, this is all a figment of her truly wild imagination and she fully expects to wake up in a moment's notice and find herself in bed with Chris snoring obnoxiously loud next to her.

But she's not dreaming.

She's awake.

"Marry me."

She feels a breath get stuck in her throat, having difficulty expressing how she's feeling in this current moment because there's so much going on right now. One minute, they're passionately fucking over a collection of cleaning supplies and the next, he's pulling out overly expensive rings and asking for her hand in marriage.

"What?"

"Marry me." he offers again, "I want us to do this thing for real, Ames." 

She hates how she blushes almost instantly, like some Japanese fucking school girl and she even covers her mouth with her opposite hand, getting a good look at the ring.

"We don't even have time for a wedding." she hates how the tears build up in her eyes and she makes a quick gesture to wipe them away before fucking Waterfall streams down from her eyes.

"I'll wait for you, Baby." 

When he looks at her, like she's the only woman in the world, it's hard to resist. When she looks him in the eyes, it's like she forgets everything they've gone through- all of the screaming, arguing, crying and secrets between them suddenly erase. It's not like she wants him to be perfect- nobody's fucking perfect and she liked that about him. She liked how he had flaws and fucked-up situations of his own to remind her that she wasn't the only person with issues. Many people don't even realize just how good that feels, to have somebody who isn't perfect and doesn't try to be.

"Okay." she nods, knowing it's the only thing she can do, "I'll marry you." she nods enthusiastically, bringing him in for a kiss and smiling to herself when he deepens it and he cups her ass with his strong, firm hands.

Later, after they've pulled themselves together, they exit the party, making their way back across the lobby until Meagan practically barricades them as she drags her date by the hand.

"Mom, Chris, Josh's mom is here to pick him up." Meagan turns and smiles brightly at the dark-haired teenage boy. 

Amy does a double check to make sure that she is, in fact, covered up and free of any type of exposure because the last thing she needed was to be _that_ mom that flashed her daughter's date her tits. 

"Joshua, it was an honor meeting you." Chris extends a hand to the young boy who looks at him like he's fucking Michael Jackson in the flesh, "I hope you and Meagan had a fun time tonight."

"Of course, Sir." Josh shakes his hand eagerly then turns to shake Amy's, "It was such an honor being here tonight and I had such a nice time with Meagan." 

"Not too nice of a time I hope." Amy hears a familiar voice call from behind. 

Amy turns around and sees Dan standing there in a navy blue suit, and a smug smile on his lips.

No. 

No.

_Fuck no._

Meagan's face drops in confusion as her eyes dart between both Amy and Chris, her eyes pleading with confusion and waiting for them to confirm exactly who this stranger is. 

"I'm sorry? I don't think we've met?" Josh's eyes widen in confusion as he turns to Dan and extends his hand out to him, "And you are?"

"Egan. Dan Egan, I'm Meag's father." 

A look of embarrassment flashes on Meagan's face and it's the quickest way to sober Amy right back to her feet. 

"Oh." Joshua's eyes widen in embarrassment, completely oblivious to the furious people surrounding him, "I don't think we've met before." 

"Neither have I," Meagan observes him like he's a fucking ghost and Amy doesn't blame her for one second. 

"Well, I'm going to go...I'll see you around at school." Josh awkwardly turns to Meagan and from the look in his eyes, Amy can tell he wants to kiss her on the cheek (Or realistically on the lips) but from the three furious adults, Josh pulls up and darts away from the group before he can embarrass himself even further. 

"Just what the _fuck_ do you think you're doing here?" Amy approaches him, her fists clenching tighter and tighter with each passing moment, "Have you lost your cricket ass mind?" Amy roars at him defiantly, not caring about making a scene in the lobby at this point. 

Dan laughs at that and takes another sip of his glass, smirking to himself. 

"Oh please, be lucky I even showed the fuck up." Dan stares at her defiantly, "I was your fucking photographer's ride since Little Miss Stick Up her ass couldn't pay him a decent fucking salary for tonight." 

She wants him dead. 

Considering the number of secret service agents in the building, she could have that arranged accordingly if she really wanted to.

Then it dawns on her. 

The sunglasses when they're obviously inside, the loose swagger in his movements and the overbearing smell of Tequila on his breath, it dawns on her right then and there. 

"Oh my god, you're drunk." she shakes her head in disbelief, taking a few steps back and away from him, not knowing how to react right now.

He cackles like a mad-man at that.

"No, not entirely." he smirks at her, "I came here to meet my daughter, Ames." 

Yeah, he's completely drunk right now. 

"I don't want to meet you." Meagan declares defiantly, her chest heaving up and down with each passing breath, "I don't even know who you are." she takes a step back towards Chris. 

"That's because your uptight, overbearing mother failed to introduce me." Dan proclaims strongly, taking a strong sip of his drink and opening his arms wide, "I'm Dan-"

Chris steps forward and shoves him, sending him to tumble backward and losing his balance. 

"She says she doesn't know who the fuck you are." Chris cracks his knuckles, "Keep it that way." 

There's a moment when Dan regains his balance and genuinely looks like he's about to leap forward and start punching Chris and from the look of fear in Meagan's eyes, Amy can't help but bring her close to her body and take a few steps backward with her safely wrapped around her arms.

"I was supposed to get my first kiss tonight and you fucking ruined it!" Meagan stomps her foot dramatically and lunges forward but Amy scrambles to keep the girl back, "Why are you showing up after fourteen years of abandoning me?" 

From the look on Dan's face, Amy can tell that this whole plan is completely blowing up in Dan's face and she isn't exactly mad at it. She just wishes it wasn't taking place in public right outside of Chris' party in the lobby of one of the nicest fucking hotels in DC.

"Ames. Take Meagan inside." Chris orders her dominantly. 

"Chris, Babe-" she tries to stop him because the last thing they fucking needed was Chris getting arrested for fighting Dan outside of this extravagant birthday party she paid a few people to plan for him. 

"Take. her. _in-fucking.side."_  Chris orders her again and this time she dutifully obliges, shooing a now sobbing Meagan back into the party.

When they're left alone, Chris grits his teeth at Dan and places his hands on his hips.

"You have about five goddamn seconds to waddle your Bozo the clown looking ass the fuck away from this party and from our lives and once and for all. Understood?" he points a finger at the grand entrance of the deserted hotel lobby.

Dan cackles at that because who the fuck did Romeo think he was talking to?

He was Dan motherfucking Egan, Washington Kingmaker and the only man on this Earth that could have a hold on Amy Brookheimer and that was a fucking fact. Sure, the seven Whiskey he had drowned before he showed up wasn't the best of ideas but neither was Amy deciding to shack herself up to this fucking clown. He decides to tell him who's really boss and let him know who the fuck could get Amy Brookheimer's panties wet with just one subtle smirk.

And he knows Chris isn't taking it well from the way he just shakes his head at him in aggravation.

He opens his mouth to proceed in telling him the explicit details of how they conceived Meagan because Dan's positive there's no one on this planet that could get Amy pregnant like he did and he knows that Chris isn't ecstatic to hear it. 

And before he knows it, Chris steps forward and lands an uppercut punch right on his jaw and he's sinking to the floor before he can help it. 

"If I ever hear you talk about Amy in that way, ever again, I will follow the trail of chicken wing bones you shit out and personally kill you myself with my bare fucking fingers then turn around and donate the fucking blood to the goddamn Children's Hospital of DC." he hears Chris practically growl at him over his head as he tries to regain consciousness from the punch.

He could stand the fuck up to his feet and lay Chris the fuck out in this lobby right here for everyone to see but he doesn't get around to it. 

He passes it before he can make his move.

And he's pissed about it. 

* * *

 

On Tuesday at about 4:15 in the morning, Amy gets a call.

This isn't anything unusual for her, part of being the Chief of Staff to the President is getting woken up at ass o-clock and being tasked to quickly and calmly finding a solution for whatever it is the President has fucked up. 

Then with the added bonus of having a baby who was every bit of demanding and fussy as her parents, it was only recently that Amy was able to enjoy the full luxuries of sleeping for civilized hours. 

When she rolls over and picks up her phone that is screeching of notifications, she can't help but wince.

"Amy Brookheimer, Deputy Chief of Staff" she holds the phone up to her ear, snuggling deeper into her duvet and not bothering to take a look at exactly who's calling her at such an ungodly hour.

"Amy?" It's Michelle on the other line, "Amy, have you seen the news?" 

She wipes the sleep out of her eyes, jolting upright against her pillows. 

"No. Why?"

She hears Michelle exhale deeply on the other line and the sound of her fingers gliding across her keyboard rapidly.

"Is Chris anywhere near you?" Michelle speaks slowly.

Amy yawns, running a hand through her hair, "He's in Los Angeles for that fucking GQ thing-Michelle, what is going on?" she finally demands, getting tired of not being in the loop of what's wrong. 

She fumbles for her remote and locates it on her bedside table and she flips on the lights, bringing a soft, white glow to the large room.

"Turn to CNN, _right now."_

She obliges and turns to CNN, leaning forward in anticipation and once the television lands on the channel, she sees Anderson Cooper in all his glory, wearing a classic blue suit and a photo of her and Chris from the party not even 72 hours ago.

She turns up the volume.

"We are back with breaking news, ladies and gentleman." his voice is smooth and calm, "About an hour or so, it appears a sex tape of Chris Blake, who is one of the presiding officers of the White House Press Office in the Ryan Administration, was leaked to the general public and in the short hour of its existence has already hit over a million and counting views on multiple streaming sites." 

_No._

Her heart is racing and she can practically taste copper in her mouth, a feeling of uneasiness settling in her stomach. 

"Now the tape itself isn't what's causing a majority of the controversy. Despite the tape being taken in the year 2006, it includes three women and Blake, and two of the three women are reported to have been only _sixteen_ years of age at the filming of this particular tape with Blake himself being twenty-one."

Her heart fucking drops at that.

She knew about the tape with one person, not a fucking orgy with fucking teenagers! Her mind is stuck in this painful position of silence and she doesn't know what to do wit herself. 

"We now turn to Candi Caruso, head writer of the New York Times who joins us in the studio right now." the camera pans to Candi who sits behind the desk along with Anderson, wearing a floral dress that makes Amy sick to her stomach.

"This is certainly...a shocking development. Christopher Blake is such a well-respected figure in modern-day politics that this has really taken people by surprise, what are your thoughts about all of this, Candi?" 

Candi gives a shake of her head and exhales dramatically.

"It's disgusting in all honesty." she gives a shrug, "Chris Blake, a man who comes from money and prestige has spent a good chunk of his career claiming he uses that privilege he was born with for good when this is a clear cut example of him using it for the complete opposite and it makes me sick to my stomach, Anderson."

"It's certainly disgusting, to say the least." Anderson nods his head, "As a friend of Chris, I can say that I'm absolutely disgusted and diminished by this." 

"I'm more disgusted with the fact that his partner, Amy Brookheimer, knew about this for just as long as he did and made the conscious choice of staying with him. What does that say for the teenage daughter she's raising?"

This can't be real.

This has to be some fucking nightmare. 

"How did they even find out about this?" Amy chokes up, mid-sentence, letting her emotions get the best of her.

"I guess that Mallory Sierra girl whose in the tape leaked it," Michelle informs her, "something tells me that's not the only reason Chris went to LA."

And she hates how she's probably right about that. 

In only a matter of hours, she went from floating o Cloud Nine with her Disney Prince of a Fiancé to being woken up to the news that he's a possible cheater and oh yeah, makes sex tapes with underaged girls. 

Usually, she tries to stop the tears from flowing because she just hates crying.

But now, she can't fucking help it. 

It's all she can fucking do now and it makes her sick to her goddamn stomach. So sick, she all but throws the phone on the bed and leans forward to puke in the wastebasket closest to her bed.

Was this her life now?


	7. Falling From Cloud Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But why now?" Amy can't help herself and she doesn't even try to, "Why now, fourteen years later when you made it clear you wanted nothing to do in the beginning would you want to all of a sudden join in now?"
> 
> "I can't keep living my life knowing that there's a kid who has half of my DNA venturing around the world." 
> 
> She knows Dan and knows damn well that what he's feeding her isn't even half of what he really fucking wants. 
> 
> "You went fourteen years, without giving a shit, why suddenly care now?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOWZA!
> 
> You guys never fail to amaze me with the support on this story and for that, I will forever be grateful for every single one of you! Thank you so much for sending me your enthusiastic, hilarious and energetic responses and comments on this fic on here and on Tumblr, it makes me so happy to know that I am entertaining people with my own original content so thank you!!
> 
> I genuinely do encourage and challenge you all to leave a comment on this fic and any other fic you manage to read whether it be Veep related or not! As a writer myself, there's no better way to make a writer feel good about their work than letting them know through a comment on what you liked and enjoyed about their stories! So I encourage you to leave on!
> 
> Make sure to check out the Spotify playlist for this story since the chapters are named after songs included in that playlist that relate to this specific story! (If you have any song suggestions, make sure to comment!)
> 
> Without further ado, here's the next chapter of If I Never See Your Face Again!

['If I Never See Your Face Again' on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5hGBh5f0aTgAbFANLfcXgG)

* * *

 

 

 

> _Falling from cloud nine_
> 
> _Crashing from the high_  
>  _I'm letting go tonight_  
>  _I'm falling from cloud nine_
> 
> _-_ 'wide awake' by katy perry

 

* * *

_Chris Blake's undercover, totally awesome Sex Tape LEAKS and breaks the internet! Click here to see a gallery of the hottest moments from the tape!_

_TMZ_

_"He forced me to keep quiet all these years." Adult film-star, Mallory Sierra breaks her silence on the leaked Sex Tape of her and Ryan Administration key player, Christopher Blake, as new details from the occurrence unfold._

_Fox News_

_"Her entire world has been turned upside down and she's completely distraught, it's like she doesn't even know who he is anymore" A source close to Amy Brookheimer speaks out for the first time since Brookheimer's Fiancé, Chris Blake's promiscuous behavior was revealed._

_Us Weekly_

_Mallory Sierra and Chris Blake have 'actively' been seeing one another for six months now despite his relationship with Amy Brookheimer._

_E-News_

_Why Chris Blake (allegedly Cheating on Amy Brookheimer has RUINED my whole day._

_Buzzfeed_

_Here's Why Chris Blake shouldn't be found guilty._

_Cut Magazine_

_Yes, Amy Brookheimer is Just as Guilty as Chris Blake, and here's why (Opinion Piece)_

_The New York Times_

_ALERT: AMY BROOKHEIMER HAS UNFOLLOWED CHRIS BLAKE ON INSTAGRAM AND TURNED OFF HER COMMENTS AND IM FREAKING OUT_

_PopSugar_

_Can Chris Blake go to jail over his actions? Ten of DC's Top Lawyers discuss what this scandal can mean for both Chris Blake and Amy Brookheimer._

_Politico_

_Yikes! Meagan Brookheimer's Instagram comments are being spammed with totally inappropriate Step-Father and Step-Daughter comments. Click here to see the most inappropriate comments._

_Teen Vogue_

_Social Media users are hailing Amy Brookheimer as a 'Bad-Mom' for keeping her daughter, Meagan Brookheimer, out of school the day her partner, Chris Blake was revealed to have cheated on her._

_The Atlantic_

_Brookheimer, who returned to work as normal on Tuesday morning, is said to be 'distraught' over this entire ordeal and has demanded all televisions to be shut off whenever she enters a room at the White House to avoid hearing about the scandal._

_The Hill_

_"You are the love of my life in this life and there's nothing or no one that can ever take that title away from you." Inside Chris Blake and Amy Brookheimer's whirlwind relationship._

_Glamour_

_A sex-tape, alleged affair, and lies. Is this the end of Brookheimer and Blake?_

_Vanity Fair_

* * *

 

_Booze, Babes, and Books: Details of the Blake Life (and why I got out)._

_Written By: Mallory Sierra_

Christopher Blake was always....interesting.

He had the looks of Prince Eric, the swagger of Frank Sinatra and boyish charms of a high school's Quarterback. Along with the fact that when I met Chris, I had only just graduated High School, this analogy seems appropriate. I remember our meeting like it was yesterday, my friends and I (Eleanor and Tan) snuck into 1Oak with the help of fake ID's one of our mutual friends had set us up with. The minute we arrived, we were secluded into a corner near the VIP Booths and were gawking at the amounts of celebrities that were hovering on their own cloud high above the dancing crowd. At one point during the night, a celebrity (Who I will not name) had invited us up to the booths so he could get to know us better after hailing we were the 'hottest chicks he had ever seen'. In short, the interaction did not end well considering the fact that he only wanted to take one of us home and separate our group-something we weren't interested in, and that's when Chris had entered the situation and unfortunately for us, our lives.

He had informed [redacted] that we were friends of his and had somehow convinced [redacted] to leave us alone and stalk back away to his own booth. Instantly we were infatuated with this man not only because he saved us from a potential creeper but because of just how handsome he was. Within a few minutes, we were in his VIP area, drinking beverages we shouldn't have been drinking and behaving in ways we certainly shouldn't have been behaving.

Near the end of the night, when we had realized we were well into the night and two hours past our curfew, we tried to sneak away easily and offer our gratitude to Chris for saving us earlier. But then, he had.....

* * *

 For the first time in the existence of mobile cellular devices, Amy shuts her phone off.

It's not like she wanted to by any means, she fucking needed to at the rate her phone was exploding non-stop from the various amounts of messages and phone calls infiltrating her line. If she had to hear one more ring or goddamn chime, she was going to lose her fucking shit.

"So let me get this straight, you knew about the tape?" Michelle questions her not even thirty minutes later of Amy finding out about this whole ordeal in the kitchen.

Amy presses her hands against her face, taking a minute to herself.

"I knew about it, I just didn't know what was in it like a fucking _idiot."_ she grits out, "How the fuck was I supposed to know that he was fucking a goddamn porn star and two underaged floozies and he was stupid enough to record it. He would've never fucking told me." 

Michelle shakes her head at that, nursing a sip of her wine.

"What did he say about that tape? He just casually mentioned that he had recorded himself having sex once?"

Amy sighs, taking a sip of her water as the memories come flooding back in.

"When we first started, I guess.. _' seeing'_ each other, Jonah had an event in LA that was being held at the Pritzker Estate and we had gone to make sure Jonah didn't fucking anything up. The night before the event, he was in the shower and I noticed someone kept calling and texting him so, i checked his phone and noticed that it was a woman named Mallory Sierra was texting him about this tape they had made and the minute he came out of the shower, we got into this full-blown argument and I was getting ready to leave him even though he swore up and down it was nothing to be worried about. I don't know why I did but, I forgave him because...something deep inside of me told me that I should go back even though I was trying to be tough and we were good for about an hour then at the event, I saw her."

"She was _at_ the event?"

Jesus, it sounded even more fucked up hearing someone confirm the details for her even though she knew exactly what fucking happened.

"She even had the fucking nerve to introduce herself to me...they could've been fucking then for all I know even though it was only four years ago." the thought stabs Amy's heart straight through and she has to hold back the urge to break into tears all over again (and from the number of times she's already broken into tears tonight, she doesn't know if she can take the tears anymore).

"So Chris was paying her to keep silent about the tape?"

She gives a shrug as she slumps into her seat because, at this point, she genuinely has no fucking idea what the fuck is going on with any of this anymore.

She thought she knew Chris. Spending four years with someone you actually fucking love is an inside look to what their life is like but now, if he's never actually loved her and this was all a game...she didn't know who Chris was anymore.

Michelle shakes her head and combs a hand through her hair, "What about this cheating thing? Do you think he's sleeping with her?" she leans forward and props her elbow on the glass table.

"I have no idea." Amy offers, her voice quivering, tears threatening to spill out. She yanks a tissue from the box resting at the center of the table and uses it to hastily swipe at her eyes, "At this point, I don't even know who the fuck he is anymore. So him fucking someone else who isn't me isn't the most far-fetched thing."

The difficult thing about all of this is that there's a history between them. It's not like they were mutual fuck-buddies that filled each other's companies whenever they were bored and horny, they actually had a life together, something Amy had never really done before. They argued, had sex, traveled, met each other's families and are so ingrained in one another's lives that it makes Amy sick thinking that she's allowed someone like Chris the privilege of seeing all of this only for him to turn around and fuck someone else.

"Fuck, he's calling me." Michelle's eyes widen at her buzzing phone as she removes it from her pocket. 

It pisses Amy off even more because she knows what he's doing. He's most likely tried calling her about thirty million different times, simultaneously leaving thousands of open-ended text messages to her and it now moving on to contacting someone else who might be in contact with her, hence him calling Michelle.

When she sees Michelle's finger hovering over declining the call, Amy speaks up with a stern voice.

"Answer it."

Michelle tilts her head to the side in confusion, "You want me to-"

"Answer it." Amy repeats herself, "Don't tell him I'm here though." she takes a deep breath, preparing to hear him for the first time since this entire volcano of shit has erupted all over her life.

Michelle obliges and answers the phone, beckoning out a meek greeting as she turns the call on speaker.

"Michelle?" Chris's voice is frantic and demanding, "Michelle? Are you there?" 

Michelle sighs, "Yes, I'm here Chris."

"Before you hang up on me, I need to know where Amy and Meagan are. Where are they?" 

Michelle looks up to Amy and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, "I assume they're at home considering the fact it's only 5:30 in the morning. Why do you need to know?"

Chris groans and Amy can practically see him stroking the nape of his neck panicked, like the time Meagan had a deathly reaction to Blueberries when she was younger and they had to rush her to the hospital.

"Amy's not answering her goddamn phone and I don't want to call Meagan because I just can't let her know what's happening right now, not like this."

Michelle chews on her bottom lip, looking at Amy once more.

"Chris, I need you to tell me right now if you cheated on Amy yes or no because regardless of what your answer is, this administration is going to be dealing with the aftermath of your shit."

"It's complicated."

Yeah, he totally cheated.

"It's _not."_ Michelle grits out, "Either you cheated on her or not. Did you or did you not."

Her heart races a million miles a minute as she awaits his answer. It's scary knowing that whatever answer he gives could quite possibly change everything between the two of them. If Chris has done what everyone has said that he's done then there's no way in hell she's staying with him, she'll throw him and all of his belongings out of this house she had purchased all by herself before he even entered the picture.

He hangs up.

And that's all the confirmation she needs to know that he, in fact, has thrown everything they've ever had together into a fucking trash can along with her heart and has set it ablaze.

Before she knows it, there are tears streaming down her face and she angrily swipes at the tissue box. 

How could she be such a fucking idiot?

"Fucking _bastard._ " Amy's hands fly to her face, "He's been lying to me about this whole sex-tape thing for the past four years and lord knows how long he's been cheating on me." she slaps the table.

"He's definitely fucking that Mallory girl and whoever else, at this point, what matters is that he's been lying to you for god knows how long and _now_ that it's public, everything is fucked up."

Her mind races to all of the possible scenarios and moments of when Chris could've cheated on her. The problem with this whole situation is the fact that the two of them are so close that it's pretty much impossible and painful for her to nail down one specific event of Chris possibly sleeping with someone behind her back. Every time a certain scenario pops into her mind, she has to fight back the urge to vomit (again) because it makes her feel that sick.

"I'm _fucking_ pissed." She doesn't hesitate to slam her fists against the table, the angering foaming out of her without guilt, "I don't even know where to start right now and there's so much shit I have to take into consideration now because of this bullshit and the fact that _he_ did this to me makes this even more fucked up." the words leave Amy's mouth before she can stop herself.

Fuck it, she's been cheated and lied to by someone she deeply loves so to hell with keeping all of these goddamn emotions in.

"Well first, I think that it's important you tell Meagan what's going on because at the end of the day if she hears this from anybody it should be you."

Fuck, she forgot all about Meagan.

She groans and slaps her palms back against her face.

"Tell me what?" a small voice calls from behind and fuck dammit if her child didn't have the worst timing of all fucking time.

She turns her head towards the stairs and sees Meagan, dressed in her UCLA sweatshirt and velvet shorts, clutching her stomach at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes blown at the scene of adults unfolding in front of her.

Amy's face softens.

 _"What._.what are you doing up?" she blinks at her daughter in concern, wondering just how much she's heard from this particular conversation.

Meagan groans as she enters the kitchen, "My stomach is killing me and I feel like I need to throw up." she wipes away at her eyes, inching towards the table.

Join the club, kid.

Michelle pulls a chair out for Meagan, ushering her into the seat and using her hand to feel Meagan's forehead and face.

"I think she has a fever," Michelle informs her, standing to her feet and giving her a knowing look.

Jesus, could this day get any worse before the day actually starts?

Amy crosses over to the fridge and pulls out a water bottle, inching back over to the table and handing it to the teenage girl who holds on to her stomach for dear life.

"Jesus, when did this happen?" Amy bends down to get a good look at the girl.

Meagan wipes away at her tears with the back of her hand.

"I don't remember when.

." she doubles over in pain, moving her hands to her abdomen. 

Michelle busies herself by inching over to the light switch and flipping the main lights of the kitchen on, and once the light hits Meagan, she sees exactly what the problem is.

"Your skin is yellow..." Amy's eyes widen at the yellow pigment coloring her daughter's usually milky white skin and her heart is back at racing a million miles a minute, "Why is your skin yellow?"

As she watches her daughter tremble in fear, it's like the outside world caves in. The only thing that matters and is important to her right about now is her daughter and defeating whatever the fuck it is that's happening to her now.

Michelle picks up one of Meagan's limp limbs and inspects it with concerned eyes.

"This looks like Jaundice." she declares strongly, "She needs to go to the emergency room."

Emergency room? As in the goddamn emergency room?

Meagan's face distorts in pain as she clutches her abdomen, painful winces coming from her throat loudly.

"I don't want to.." she looks back to Michelle with pleading eyes, leaning forward and grasping onto Amy with one hand.

She stands to her feet, bringing Meagan up with her to the ground.

"Michelle's right." Amy places one of Meagan's arms over her shoulders as Michelle follows suit, the three of them hobbling towards the garage door on the opposing side of the house, "We're gonna take Chris' car and I'm going to get my wallet, okay?".

Meagan musters out a nod as Amy throws open the door, crossing over to Chris' silver g-wagon parked perfectly on the right-hand side of the garage. 

Once they've dumped Meagan in the back seat, Amy slams the door shut and lets out a breath she didn't know she was capable of holding in that long.

"I can drive while you go get your wallet?" Michelle offers as Amy yanks the car keys off the rack.

Amy gives a small nod, " _Yeah._..yeah, that would be perfect.." she pants out and runs for the door leading back into the house.

She darts into the house, plucking out her glasses from the nightstand, retrieving her purse from the office, a bucket (in case Meagan throws up) and cover from the closet, slides on her glasses and is out of the house in record time.

On the way to the hospital, she's too shocked and worried to do anything but hold on to her baby, fighting back her tears and staying strong for her because that's her job and all that she can do.

It's what she needs to do.

* * *

Meagan hates hospitals.

 _Especially_ Emergency Rooms.

Considering her track record at the hospital, Amy doesn't exactly blame the child for not being the biggest fan of the Emergency Room.

"How are you doing, babe?" Amy takes a seat on the stool nestled next to the hospital bed Meagan is burrowed in, the teenage girl taking a moment to take a deep breath.

"My stomach is _killing_ me." she complains, the tears spilling out of her brown eyes, "I want Chris here." she cries out, resembling a toddler.

Fuck.

 _"I know,_ I know." she leans forward and strokes her daughter's cheek, "Grandma says she's on her way and everything's going to be alright."

She rolls over on her side, clutching her abdomen with a heavy groan.

_"Ames."_

Amy turns around and sees Michelle peeking her head into the room with two cups of coffee.

"Jonah, Beth, Bill, and Teddy are outside in the waiting room."

 _"Please tell me there isn't a vote going on..._ " Meagan warbles from her spot on the bed, her voice strained and soulless from the pain she's undergoing.

"No, Meags. It's not about that, it's about.. _.something else."_ she gives a knowing look to Amy and it doesn't even take her long to know exactly what she's referring to and she's out of her seat to dismantle the situation with her bare hands before Meagan gets a chance to know about anything going on around her. 

She leans down and places a kiss on her cheek, "Get some rest. I'll be back soon." 

When she exits the room, they make their way down the hallway, following the loud, boisterous voice that jolts the walls (and patients) awake at six thirty in the fucking morning. 

And who's the only human fucking being that would America and the territories of Guam with his voice alone?

"Where the _fuck_ is Amy at? I demand to know where my _goddamn_ Chief of Staff is right fucking now." 

Yep, only the President of the United fucking States of America. 

They enter the waiting room and are met with the team and the several secret service agents lining the walls of the small waiting room area, the other patients and parents looking lost as all hell.

"She's right here, Jonah." Michelle holds a hand up as they enter the circle. 

Jonah's shoulders tense up at that as an arm flies into the air, he begins to snap demandingly.

"I want every single receptionist, doctor, surgeon, nurse and whatever the fuck else is needed in a hospital right fucking here. Hot ones only." 

There's a moment when the staff of the Emergency wing awkward file into the middle of the room, where they're all located with their eyes focused on Amy the entire time and she's not in the mood for it. 

"What in the worldwide fuck are you doing right now?" Amy approaches him, not caring who sees her right now. 

Jonah looks down at her like it's obvious, "If you think I'm letting some fresh out of high school yuppie lay a hand on my niece, you've gotten me mistaken with some kind of a fool." 

There's a moment of silence as the remaining workers file into the circle, in front of the team.

"Where the fuck are the hot nurses?" Jonah demands once again

"Most likely the Pediatric unit, that seems like a sexier unit." Teddy chimes in.

"This is a Children's hospital, all of the units are considered Pediatric." a small, frail man in a set of scrubs nervously informs the much larger adults with a meek voice. 

 _"All of the units are considered Pediatric._ " Jonah mocks the younger man with a clownish voice, making Beth practically bounce in laughter.

Once he's satisfied, Jonah claps his hands together, addressing the room.

"Listen here, I'm the President of the United Fucking States and what I say goes." he declares strongly then points a finger at Amy.

"Do you see this woman right here?" he stands behind Amy and places his hands on her shoulders firmly, "This woman has been through hell and fucking back in a matter of thirty years. Even though tonight just might be the worst day of her fucking life since her dickwad of a fiance-"

"Children's hospital." Bill steps in to remind him.

"Does it _look_ like a give a shit, Eric?" Jonah gives Bill a dismissive wave, ushering for him to stand back after he clears his throat.

"Anyways, if I see, hear or even _sniff_ a fucking tabloid or gossip horny television show on these screens talking about Amy and her _'situation'_ I will personally fire and or deport every last one of you. Do I make myself clear, team?"

Fuck this was another round of ego-tisitcal male behavior that'll put out a fire she'll need to put out later.

"Now who's taking care of my niece?"

A raven-haired woman raises her hand gingerly, keeping her eyes down.

Jonah points at the woman, "Why are you still here?"

The women look confused, "Because _you_ called us here."

Jonah makes a mocking noise at the woman and it's the last thing she needs right now, she genuinely doesn't need any of this right now. Her baby was in the fucking hospital dealing with god knows what in the midst of a very, public scandal Amy's found herself in.

"Well, now I'm dismissing you." Jonah rolls his eyes and waves his hands around the room, "You're _all_ dismissed."

The room feels bigger the minute the workers all return to their assigned positions and it feels like she can kinda breathe again.

"Jonah." she pinches the bridge of her nose, "You didn't have to do that." 

"I totally did, everyone knows that hospitals move slow as fuck because all of the hot ass nurses fake tits are dragging them around and the dudes can barely walk straight because of their woodies being air-fuckin' tight."

Oh Jonah, how this frat boy-esqe ranting somewhat makes her feel a tad bit better.

As crazy as it seems, at least she can rely on Jonah with not changing. Sure, it was irritating as shit because he was literally the President of the United States with the mentality of a ten-year-old boy but, it was..comforting knowing exactly what she would deal with.

"How's Meagan?" Beth chimed in, her eyes glistening with worry, "The minute we heard on the news, we rushed-"

Wait, news? They only got here not even thirty minutes ago and Amy hasn't told anybody what's going on and considering the fact Michelle drove them there, she's positive she hasn't said anything either.

"What do you mean the news?" Amy's heart does the drop thing again, "Who the fuck reported it?"

"It seems that a parent of one of the....children here posted something about you arriving to the Emergency Room with Meagan on Twitter."

Jesus, could she ever catch a goddamn break?

She yanks her phone from her pocket and combs a hand through her hair, waiting for it to power up.

"Do we know who posted it?" she leans forward and accepts the coffee from Michelle, needing a boost of energy.

"Whoever posted it left apparently, she posted a photo ten minutes ago showing that the Doctor's got her kid to shit their house key back out," Michelle announces as her eyes gloss over her phone screen in confusion.

"Well, then I want them deported." Jonah points his finger at Michelle and Bill.

"She's white." Bill blinks at Jonah in disbelief.

"Well then send her to fucking Wyoming, Eric, just get her out of here." Jonah throws his hands in the air.

The minute her phone is on, it's like she's rejoined back to reality. She has over a hundred missed calls alone, 56 of them belonging to none other than Chris himself and the other 44 ranging from Bill, Beth, Her Mom, Sophie, and Teddy. Then there are about 60 missed messages, a majority of them also belonging to Chris and a feeling of anger washes over.

Her mind goes to the minute she saw Meagan looking as sickly as she did, earlier. She was so fucking worried that something was genuinely wrong (and she still fucking is right now), all she wanted was for Chris to be there and let her know that things were going to be okay even though they probably weren't.

She wanted him.

She needed him and so did Meagan.

It fucking hurts that her daughter is sitting in a hospital bed, pleading and demanding for Chris to come by and make everything better (Because that's what he usually does) but she doesn't know what he's done.

And it's eating Amy away in the inside.

Needing a minute, she slinks away from the group and locates a supply closet on the opposing side of the building.

Once she's made sure that the closet is empty and she locks herself inside, she slides down the door, hitting her head against the wooden material trying to knock some sense into her head about all of this. 

 _"I want Chris here."_ plays in her mind over and over again like a broken record.

Chris was the only real father-figure Meagan ever had in her life and because of that, the two were extremely close. As of right now, she doesn't know how to handle the idea of Chris not being in Meagan's life because of how ingrained he is but, it's something she'll need to think about.

But not right now, unfortunately.

Against her will, gut, and better judgment, she speed-dials his number and waits for a response.

He picks up on the second ring.

 _"Ames?_ Ames, babe. Are you there?"

She bites back a tear, wiping away at her eyes.

"I am." she nervously plays with her fingers in her lap, trying to focus on not growing emotional with him over the phone.

 _"Baby,_ I know that there's a lot going on right now and I just want to tell you that I'm so madly, deeply in love with you and Meagan and I'm on a plane right now, flying back home."

Of course, he knew he was needed, smug bastard.

"When you get here, we're not talking about it."

He pauses and bites his bottom lip at that, "If that's what you want, I respect that."

"Meagan doesn't know anything yet and I want to keep it that way, she's in too much pain to grasp on to whatever the fuck it is you did." she bites out harsher than she expects to.

There's a sigh from the other line.

"We can talk like this then." he jumps at the opportunity, "There's so much I need to tell you and I don't trust anyone else te-"

"We don't. We have nothing to talk about." she shakes her head furiously.

"If you would just listen to me-"

"No Chris, _you_ listen to _me!"_ her body bounces to life, the emotions starting to settle in for the first time in hours, "Not only did you lie to me like I'm some sort of an idiot but you cheated on me. Do you realize how much you've fucking hurt me? I've given you everything I've had for the past four years and you've taken all of that and betrayed me." she falls into a puddle of furious, snotty tears, "...and now I have to deal with fucking Meagan who doesn't know better, and is demanding to see you."

"You're listening to everyone else but me, if you would calm down and listen to me-"

"I don't _want_ to listen to you, you idiot." she squeezes her eyes shut, "I want you out of my life." 

Chris groans on the opposing line and Amy feels her chest heaving with each panting breath she heaves out.

If Chris wants to try and make this into not being a big deal, he can go right ahead and do that for himself but not her. It's not her fault that she sees this as a big fucking deal because it actually is, she looks like a fucking idiot in front of the entire world and it's driving her crazy. Going through a breakup is one thing but it's another thing when it's so open that anyone can implement their thoughts.

"Okay you're not listening to me and I'm dealing with a public beheading in the midst of all of this. When I land, I'll head right to the hospital and we'll go from there, just....just wait for me, Ames." 

"No." she cries out, "I'm done waiting for you."

"Tell Meagan I'm on my way and that everything's going to be alright."

She hangs up.

* * *

_June 1st, 2030._

“Why are you so nervous?” Chris questions her after she lets him in the house.

She wipes her hands on the material of her dress, “What makes you think I’m nervous?”

“Because you're the most neurotic woman I know, besides my mother of course,.” He pauses to bend down and press a kiss on her lips, “..and Good Morning to you.”

She turns around to lock the door and gives him a knowing look.

”It’s just....this is the first time she’s going to meet you and I just don’t want her scaring you away or anything.”

Chris removes his sunglasses at that, holding the plastic bag in his hand closer to him.

”She’s nine turning ten, Ames.” His face breaks out into a smile, “Something tells me that she isn’t the leader of a mob or anything.”

Considering who Meagan’s father is, she’d go as far to say it’s pretty likely.

”The same nine going on to ten year old who told ‘Uncle Jonah’ to get her some ‘milk and goddamn cookies’ while he was in the meeting with the Prime Minister of New Zealand”.

Chris gives a half shrug as if he finds nothing wrong with the anecdote.

”Sounds like she’s my type of girl.” he grins at her because he's an out-of-control asshole that makes it his personal mission to make Amy weak at the knees every moment of the day and she hates him for it, mostly because he does such a good job at it.

God, he was such an asshole.

And she fucking adored that about him.

"Listen, if you think you can knock the socks off of someone who is practically the Simon Cowell amongst her elementary school peers, then, by all means, be my fucking guest." she rolls her eyes as they make their way towards the kitchen.

"Well if she's anything like her mom, I know she's a softie." he makes a quick slap at her ass.

She retrieves her wallet from the marble counter and goes to head upstairs and careen Meagan to prepare for the day but Chris stops her in her tracks, sliding her wallet from her hand.

"What are you doing?" she frowns at him in confusion.

"When's the last time you got your nails done?" he gives a subtle nod towards her hands as she leans in to remove her wallet from his hands.

"Two weeks ago maybe? Meagan caught that stomach virus and then she gave it to me and..getting my nails done suddenly became not so important for a few weeks."

He gives a familiar pout, "That's a shame...I love it when your nails are painted." 

She rolls her eyes because again, he's an asshole.

"That's because you're a grown man with the kinks of a seventeen-year-old who hasn't lost his virginity yet." she teases him, "...and besides, you'll want me to get my nails done red and that's not what I want."

"Well, what is it that you want?"

"Black or silver probably. Something not too eye-catching." 

"Well, then that's what you'll get." he follows her up the staircase side by side.

She pauses on the landing.

"What are you talking about?" she folds her arms over her chest, "Are you taking me to get my nails done?"

"No." he looks at her like she's crazy, "I'm taking you and Meagan to get your nails done." 

Ugh, asshole.

She has the smile that threatens to come out because whenever he does something caring or romantic, she feels like a teenage girl all over again.

"Did I mention how annoying you are?" she gives him a small chuckle, leaning forward for a kiss.

When he moves in to kiss her, Amy's instincts go off and she gets the hint that they're not alone.

"We're not alone," Amy whispers against his lips, pulling back and looking around the second floor of the house.

Sure enough, Meagan's door is inched open and Amy can perfectly see her daughter's wide set chocolate eyes looking through the small inch of the door's open space, studying the scene ahead of her as quietly as possible.

"Meags? You can come out now." she takes a step away from Chris and approaches the door.

Slowly, Meagan opens the door and steps into the foyer area, moving towards Amy but her eyes still locked on Chris who gives her a smile from the staircase.

Fuck, maybe this was too soon. Even though they had been dating for a few months, Amy had made it a point to wait it out on the whole Meagan meeting Chris event simply because she didn't need both of them getting used to someone who ends up fucking them over a few weeks later. But, things were going better than she could've ever imagined and since they were thinking of their futures a lot more, this only seemed like the next step.

Amy holds out her hand to Meagan who takes it graciously as she succumbs to Amy, staying impossibly close and practically holding on to her for dear life.

"Meagan? This is my friend Chris who I was telling you about, can you introduce yourself?" she encourages.

Meagan gives a small wave and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, "I'm Meagan."

Chris bends down to give Meagan a warm smile.

"Hi Meagan, I'm Chris." he greets her warmly, "It's nice to meet you."

"Are you a friend like Aunt Sue and Uncle Jonah are? Or are you like Mommy's boyfriend?" the child raises an eyebrow quizzically at the older man.

There's an impressed look on Chris' face and he looks up to Amy for guidance.

Amy clears her throat impulsively, holding her daughter's shoulders.

She didn't know what to say. Sure, they had been dating exclusively for a few months now but, they never actually defined what they were. She assumed that they were together due to the fact that they only fuck one another exclusively and every now and then she'll him drag her out to whatever upscale fine dining restaurant he insists on taking her to.

"We _are_....dating one another." the words leave her mouth before she can help it.

Meagan's eyes dart in between Chris and Amy.

"So you're like boyfriend and girlfriend?" Meagan declares, addressing the elephant in the room.

"Yes." Amy answers, "Chris and I are boyfriend and girlfriend."

Meagan turns her attention back to Chris and she gives him a small smile.

"Any friend of my Mommy's is my friend too." her small dimples peek through.

Chris takes a seat on the step and gives a small over his shoulder. 

"I brought you a gift from Los Angeles, your Mom told me you like Tinkerbell."

The little girls' eyes light up and she practically bounces over to Chris, dropping herself on the step.

"I _love_  Tinkerbell." her voice is full of childish joy, "She's my favorite."

"Mine too." Chris exclaims with the childlike joy of his own, "You know I'm good friends with her."

"Nu-uh! Fairies aren't real." the blonde child folds her arms over her chest, "My Aunt Sophie told me." 

Ugh, fuck Sophie for ruining her child's dream of mythical creatures being real and disclosing this information with Meagan when she was only four years old and leaving Amy to deal with the aftershocks of _that_ traumatic life lesson.

"They so are." Chris challenges her, "She lives at Disneyland."

"You've been to Disneyland?" Meagan's wide-set eyes practically bulge.

Chris gives an earnest nod.

"I live five minutes away and when I told Tink I was meeting you, she told me I have to give you a present from her." Chris begins to dig around in the bag.

For all she knows, Chris and his Oprah-esqe ass could produce a season pass to fucking Disneyland for all she knows but she releases a sigh of release when he produces a set of Mouse Ears and a Tinkerbell plush doll that lights up and is the size of a plastic water bottle.

"Oooh, Mommy look." Meagan takes the purple and green ears and holds them up for Amy to see, "They look like her wings in the movie and the doll looks just like her."

Then she has to do the routine of fake-fawning over the gifts because that's what you do as a parent. If your kid shows up with a fucking piece of paper scribbled with some incoherent bullshit, you do your job and give it a quick five-second fawn. 

"What do you say to Chris?" Amy points over at Chris.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" she girl flings herself onto Chris and gives a tight squeeze, her blonde ponytail wagging around in the air, "And tell Tinkerbell I say thank you too."

"Go put your things back in your room and grab your coat, Meags. Chris is taking us to get our nails done." Amy puts a hand on her back and ushers her towards her designated bedroom. 

The girls' jaw drops and she claps excitedly.

"Can I bring my Disney ears?"

"No." Amy shuts her down without hesitation, "Just grab your coat so we can go." 

They make their way back down to the staircase and Amy can't help but give a smile to Chris.

"Had I known you were a built-in Fran Fine I would've hooked up with you sooner." she puts a hand on her hip as he stands on the bottom staircase, looking down at her, right in the eyes.

"Oh? So hooking up in your bathroom within the first thirty minutes of us meeting wasn't soon enough for you?" he smirks at her, "Had I known that I would've taken you right then and there in the hallway." 

She rolls her eyes at him because she can.

And leans in to kiss him tenderly due to the fact that she simply can.

And she loves every minute of it.

* * *

_ Present _

 "Obviously this is a stressful time for Brookheimer, first the news of Chris Blake spreading like wildfire and now the unexpected event of her daughter ending up in the hospital. Despite all of this, she still is the sitting Chief of Staff for President Jonah Ryan and it's forcing people to question whether or not she can continue pulling off the job." the red-haired journalist from CNN address the camera head-on.

"Since news has broken about both Chris Blake's alleged infidelity and her daughter, Meagan being admitted to the hospital for unknown causes, Brookheimer has remained noticeably quiet on both situations. Reginald, do you believe that the Ryan administration should be concerned about their reigning Chief of Staff undergoing these personal issues."

Reginald Peck, a political analysis from the mid-west clears his throat and leans forward on his elbows on the glass table.

"I _absolutely_ believe that the Ryan Administration should be concerned about Brookheimer. A Chief-of-Staff's main job is to be well-known enough to where they are respected but private enough to where their personal lives aren't on full display like a Las Vegas buffet and it seems that's where Brookheimer has found herself right about now." 

"While yes, this is a terrible situation for Ms. Brookheimer especially since she has to deal with it so publically. It's imperative that she realizes just how much this can impact her job versus her personal life. Because of this entire situation, Blake could possibly be looking at a court case and worse, potential prison time for even having the tape in his possession considering the fact that it could easily be cited as child pornography."

"Speaking of Brookheimer, the latest thing we've seen from her on her side is her unfollowing Blake on all social media platforms and that is quite the indicator that this is in fact not a rumor anymore." the red-haired journalist chimes in, "Can you see this scandal potentially ruining the Ryan Administration?"

"Well, I think a lot of what happens after this will all dictate on how President Ryan and the key members of their administration react to this-Bill Ericsson, Michelle York, Teddy Sykes and the President himself. Even though there's so much more information to be dissected, it will be important for the core members of the team to say something considering the fact that as you mentioned, this could put a major damper on a majority of their plans for the future, especially with how much the administration has put their foot forward for programs that invest in the future of children of all socio-economic backgrounds." Niles Grier, a black Republican from The Atlantic concedes smugly.

"The only member who seems to have spoken about this situation would be White House Communications Director, Michelle York, who got into an intense Twitter exchange with New York Times Head Writer, Candi Carusso on Twitter in which York responded to an article Carusso had written recently about how Brookheimer deserves to be held accountable more than Blake in terms of their current situation in which she claims that Brookheimer is not only verbally and mentally abusive to her teenage daughter, Meagan but, she even goes as far as alluding that Brookheimer knew about the tape's existence for longer than she claims and deserves to be held accountable for that. Not long after posting, York went to Twitter and bashed Carusso for harassing Brookheimer during this difficult time then continued to dismiss the claims of abusive behavior by stating ' _That's absolutely f-ing ridiculous and you know it, shame on you."_

"If I were Brookheimer, I'd start drafting up and official press release and releasing it eventually before this situation unravels into something she possibly won't have the talent to ha-"

Then the television shuts off.

She blinks back to reality and whips her heads towards the door, seeing Dan standing there in all his glory.

With the midst of her personal life being an open essay for the entire world to leave notes on, she genuinely has no energy in going back and forth with him right about now.

"I was watching that." she looks away, focusing her eyes on the television in front of her.

"You don't need to. Those people are nothing but shallow assholes who have a hard-on for getting back at everyone who ever bullied them in junior high by bullying politicians on television."

"What do you want, Dan?" she shuts her eyes, "If you came here to make my life a living hell, it's been done already." 

She feels him take a seat in the waiting chair a few seats away from her and he gives her a small glance.

"I heard she got admitted to the hospital."

"And?" Amy responds unimpressed, "Its definitely not the first time she's been admitted."

Dan takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his hair.

"I didn't know about the other times."

"And the one time you learn about it, it's through social media." she shakes her head, "You're pathetic, Dan."

"I know."

"You are such a- _wait, what?"_

Dan looks at her like he didn't just break his trait of smugness and agree with her, giving an innocent look of confusion that almost frightens Amy because, for the life of her, she's genuinely never seen him give that look before. 

"I'm pathetic." he gives a shrug.

She looks him up and down quizzically. This was supposed to be Dan Egan, not some weird clone with the confidence and insecurities of some acne-faced sixteen-year-old that didn't know how to communicate with others. 

"I know that but how do _you_ know that?"

Dan sighs and looks around the now empty waiting room (Jonah had convinced the hospital to give the entire team an entire waiting room for themselves and promptly after receiving it, Amy kicked everybody out insisting to be alone for a few minutes.)

"When I came to the party, I just wanted to talk to you and Meagan. My hope was that if she saw me, she'd get that smile you usually got whenever you were excited about something and she'd hug me but it was the opposite. The minute she saw me, it was like I was her worst nightmare and it fucked me up, Ames."

"She doesn't know who you are, Dan." Amy rolls her eyes, "You can't expect to pop up after fourteen years of abandonment and expect her to welcome you with wide arms and a big smile. That's something you have to earn."

"And I want to earn that, okay?" his eyes are now wide and when she gets a good look at him, he doesn't even look like himself. "I don't want her looking at me like I'm a fucking ghost or some shit."

The color from his face is drained, his eyes are bloodshot and she sees his freckles so clearly that it's like she's talking to a completely different person. 

"But why now?" Amy can't help herself and she doesn't even try to, "Why now, fourteen years later when you made it clear you wanted nothing to do in the beginning would you want to all of a sudden join in now?"

"I can't keep living my life knowing that there's a kid who has half of my DNA venturing around the world." 

She knows Dan and knows damn well that what he's feeding her isn't even half of what he really fucking wants. 

"You went fourteen years, without giving a shit, why suddenly care now?"

"Because, Ames-"

"She's gone fourteen years without you, Dan and I know she's strong enough to go fourteen more because she has my DNA, not yours." 

"Amy-"

"You know what, Dan." Don't even answer me, I'm not about to sit here and be subjected to your bullshit again."

"Ames, please just _listen_ to me."

"No Dan, I've done enou-"

He pulls her to him before she can finish her sentence and looks her square in the eye like she's the only thing that matters to him in the world. 

"I love you, okay? I loved you then and I love you now and I'm sorry, Amy. About everything.".

She doesn't know how to react.

Between him having his hands on her waist and her arms being crushed against his chest, she can't breathe and she doesn't know how to react.

She knows herself too well to know that the minute she gives herself into him, she'll lose herself all over again and lord knows she can't afford to do that in the midst of all of this. 

She has to be strong.

She has to be in control.

Because that's what she's supposed to do, not this. 

"No Dan, you don't." she shakes her head trying to pull away but he doesn't budge.

"Yes, yes I do," he demands.

Then he kisses her.

Even though there are fourteen years between them actually making any sort of contact whatsoever, it doesn't feel like a moment's passed between them. When he surges himself against her lips and kisses her like she's the only woman in the world, it feels familiar in an eerily comforting sense.

He's slow with her, letting them move along with the motions and it takes the door flying open for her to realize what it is she's doing. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Chris steps into her eyesight, barreling in between the two of them, pushing Dan far away from Amy.

It's all such a blur that she doesn't even realize what's happening before the two of them are exchanging a series of expletives and fists being flung at one another. She tries so hard to get them to separate but they're so much taller and heavier than she is that it's fucking impossible and she has to rely on the Secret Service agents to break them apart.

"You think you can fucking leak shit about me then put the moves on my girl?" Chris moves forward to lunge at Dan but Amy steps between the two blood-thirsty men with murder on their minds

"Chris, don't do this. Please." she pleads with him, tears running down her cheeks, "Please, just come with me so we can talk to the Doctor now that you're here."

 _"No!"_ Chris shakes his head defiantly as an Agent begins to approach him from behind and he does a quick twist and somehow manages to punch Dan square in the face, "The next time you fucking touch her I will fucking kill you myself." he threatens fiercely as Agent Youngblood tightens his grip on Chris, edging him towards the door.

There's so much shouting and screaming going on that she feels lightheaded, the only thing that matters at this point is getting Chris firmly away from Dan before he places any more damage in today's atmosphere. 

The minute two of the agents escort them out of the waiting room and to an empty room, it's the first chance their alone and Amy doesn't help the tears that rack throughout her body.

"Why the fuck would you do that!?"

"He fucking kissed you, Amy. Why the fuck would you let him do that!?"

And she can't help but scream in his fucking face because at this point it's what he deserves.

"I don't know why! Why don't you answer some goddamn questions and tell me why you cheated on me and lied to me simultaneously? Why would you do that!"

Chris groans dramatically, throwing his hat across the room.

"I didn't fucking cheat on you!" 

"Stop lying to me!" she howls in anger at him, the emotion taking over her phone, "Stop fucking lying to me!" 

"No one is fucking lying to you." he grits out in annoyance, his blue eyes rimmed ruby red from what she assumes as exhaustion.

"You know what Chris? You should've stayed your happy ass the fuck in Los Angeles because then you could give this back to Mallory or whoever the fuck you deem worthy of it." she twists the ring off her finger and doesn't hesitate to pelt him with it. 

"Get him the fuck away from me!" she turns a shoulder on him, ordering the Secret Service agents who look on at the two of them in high alert, ready to intervene in any potential scene that can erupt from the two of them screaming at one another. 

It hurts to walk away.

It hurt, even more, to throw that ring right in his face.

But fuck dammit, it hurts the hardest to walk away from someone you actually love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment! It's both greatly encouraged and heavily appreciated!


	8. Soul Company

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She doesn't know if Chris actually cheated on her.
> 
> There was a small part of her that didn't want to know but an even bigger part of her that wants to know why if he actually did do it. It's a painful situation all in all and she doesn't know what to do. The problem with being in a four-year relationship with somebody who you truly loved was confronting the idea of them possibly not loving you the same way you loved them.
> 
> But there are all these people in her fucking ear, telling her one story and others telling her another one and she just doesn't know what to do anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow!
> 
> The love and support I've received on this story is absolutely insane! There are not enough words for me to express just how grateful I am for everyone single one of you. Your enthusiasm, love, and patience with me and this story is so moving and I truly am blessed to have readers as amazing as you all!
> 
> Two more chapters have been added to the story because the plot is thickening ladies and gentleman and I want to keep in as much of this story as possible! 
> 
> When you're done with the story, make sure to check out the Spotify playlist curated by me that includes songs that are related to this story. 
> 
> And don't forget to leave a comment, I ADORE reading what you guys have to say because your feedback means the world to me and I always try to implement your comments and suggestions throughout the story!
> 
> Without further ago, enjoy!

_Tell me who lit the fire_

  
_Tell me who lit the sun_

  
_Tell me who placed me_

  
_Between heaven and hell_

_-'soul company' by HOGNI_

* * *

 

['If I Never See Your Face Again' on Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5hGBh5f0aTgAbFANLfcXgG)

* * *

 

"What the hell happened in here?" Bill questions as he and Michelle are escorted by Agent Youngblood into the now empty waiting room as Amy sits in one of the chairs and stares at the wall ahead blankly.

Amy sighs and takes a sip of her coffee, shuddering at the now cold beverage.

"Dan kissed me, Chris got angry, they fought...same old, same old."

For a minute, Bill's jaw drops in that horrified look of confusion he always gets whenever something eerily wrong and seriously terrible happens as Michelle's face scrunches in confusion.

"He _kissed_ you?"

"They fought in here? The room we're all standing in right now?" Bill's eyes widen in concern, Amy noticing the lightbulb going off in his head the minute he stops speaking.

"Over there, near the window, why?" she points at the large window that overlooks Downtown DC's high-rise buildings and gloomy skies. 

Bill does a quick look over his shoulder and inched closer towards Amy, leaning down with a discreet whisper so only she and Michelle can hear him.

"There's a camera right near the window," he informs them.

_Fuck._

Could she just have three minutes of peace and quiet in the midst of undergoing a very public scandal right now? She felt like she fucking deserved it at this point. 

She jolts upright to attention, getting a good glance over her shoulder and that's when she sees it. The camera hovering perfectly right over the window with a sharp focus right on the entire area near the window and she knows they're truly fucked at this point.

"Obviously we need to delete the footage, if we wait another second then it'll be on every website on Al Gore's fucking internet." Amy stands to her feet, giving the camera her back and facing both Bill and Michelle.

"Where's Jonah?" Michelle turns to Bill.

"He went back to the White House, he had his annual day briefing this morning but he'll be back soon." 

"Well is there anyone else we can call to have them erase the tape? We can't wait for Jonah because, by the time he's out of that meeting, it'll most likely be too late." Michelle looks around the room hesitantly, peering for every possible recording device this room could have planted.

Not only was there footage of Dan and Chris fighting like a pair of fucking goons, but there's also a good chance the cameras got footage of her sobbing to herself for five minutes straight as she watched the news (Before Dan intervened) and she'd actually kill herself if that ever got in the wrong hands.

"Richard," Amy mumbles out.

They look at her like she's batshit crazy and lately, Amy's been believing it. 

"As in Splett? You want us to phone Fozzie Bear for backup?" Bill unhinges his jaw at Amy, staring down at her in confusion.

"It's not like _we_ can go in there and like you mentioned, Jonah is at a meeting we cannot pull him away from and we have no time to waste." Amy grits out, "Now will you please, go to the EEOB Building and force Richard out of his natural habitat and get his ass down here so we can prevent another scandal from happening?"

Bill rolls his eyes and gives a defeated sigh.

"Fine." he breezes past them and out of the door, leaving the two of them alone.

"I don't even know where the fuck to go now. Every place I go has a camera hooked up or some overweight parent whose glued to their smartphone tweeting about me." she slaps her hand on her forehead, weighing her options.

"What about Chris' car? The smell of vomit has most likely passed by now and it didn't look suspicious when we drove here." she offers.

Even though she absolutely detests Chris right about now, sitting in his car, in those plush leather seats she loves sitting in so much sounds like pure heaven to her especially since the fatigue of the day is starting to settle in. 

"What about Meagan?" the thought settles in Amy's head, "I can't just leave her here, what if something happens?"

"The Doctor's said she needs rest so they gave her some all-natural sleep syrup and she's sound asleep right now. If anything happens, your Mom is here and I can always call you."

It didn't sound like that bad of an idea. 

She hadn't gotten sleep in hours and even if she could get a slight fifteen-minute nap, it would help her and her sanity so much. She feels like she needs to go out and drive around just to clear her head but she's honestly too exhausted to even function right now.

So, she agrees and takes the car keys from Michelle as they exit the waiting room, entering the main lobby of the floor.

"Rick?" Amy turns to the Agent with a small voice, "I need to get out to clear my head, do you think it's possible an Agent can trail behind me to make sure nothing too crazy happens to me while I'm out."

He gives an understanding nod, "I'll send Agent Rutherford to trail you while you're out."

"Now can you direct me to where Chris is?" she runs a hand through her hair, looking around the somewhat empty lobby as the corners of the room are staffed with Secret Service agents.

Rick gives a few glances around the room and strays ahead of Amy, leading her towards the back of the building where there are a few private rooms for families who have enough money to purchase one. 

"In here, Ma'am." he opens the door and steps to the side, allowing her to step in and shutting the door right after she's situated in the room.

When she steps into the dimly lit room, she sees Chris, looking up at her with his eyes widen in concern and rimmed with scarlet red. 

She doesn't know if Chris actually cheated on her.

There was a small part of her that didn't want to know but an even bigger part of her that wants to know why if he actually did do it. It's a painful situation all in all and she doesn't know what to do. The problem with being in a four-year relationship with somebody who you truly loved was confronting the idea of them possibly not loving you the same way you loved them.

But there are all these people in her fucking ear, telling her one story and others telling her another one and she just doesn't know what to do anymore.

"We're going on a drive." she throws the keys at him (and he catches it perfectly), "You have tinted windows which is fine but, you're going to drive me around and we'll stop somewhere when I'm ready so you can explain to me what the fuck else you've lied to me about so we can be done with this once and for all."

He blinks at her, remaining frozen in his seat.

"Done with what?" his eyes widen at her.

She gives him a good look in his eyes and releases a breath she didn't know she was holding onto.

"With us."

* * *

_November 10th, 2030_

"Did you have a fun time today?" Chris raises an eyebrow at her as he peels back the duvet covers and exits the bed.

She rolls over onto her side underneath the covers, giving a small nod.

"I did. Had I known you could get alcohol at Disneyland then maybe I would've gone sooner," she admits shamelessly running a hand through her blonde hair

He bends down to sneak a kiss on her lips, she takes the opportunity to cradle his cheek in her hand softly.

"I'm gonna hop in the shower real quick." he mumbles against her lips, "Need anything?"

She pulls away and leans back against the pillows sitting upright, crossing her legs underneath the covers, "I'm fine." she gives a small yawn, stretching her arms over her head.

"Great." he smiles at her and turns around to enter the master bedroom, sliding the door shut behind him and leaving Amy alone.

She's a tad bit disappointed he's closed the door because even though she's not taking a shower with him, she still likes to see him all bare-chested and hot whenever it suits her.

Instead of wasting time in lusting over him and his good looks, she takes time in watching the news of the day and soaking in the warm interior of the master bed. 

She passes time by occasionally watching the news and rewatching a few videos she had taken at the amusement park earlier today. As she looks on at the videos of Meagan and Chris singing, dancing and playing without a care in the world she feels a warm glow in the core of her heart. 

How lucky was she to be with somebody so charming, handsome and willing to be a potential father figure to a child she already had? She can't help but smile down at her phone as she scrolls through her camera roll and stumbles on a selfie that Chris had taken of them when they got on the small world ride. There's a moment when a little giggle escapes her throat because of just how ridiculous she looks in the ruby red mouse ears Chris and Meagan had insisted her wear all day.

Sure, it gave her a headache at the beginning of the day but that didn't mean it wasn't adorable as shit.

When she goes on Instagram to make sure everything's still going fine, she notices that Chris must've added a photo of her a few hours ago and when she sees what he's posted, she didn't know that her smile could get any bigger.

It's a set of photos of them and Meagan smiling at the camera and the last one has the camera facing her and Meagan's back as they look up at the Disneyland castle and it's all kinds of adorable.

It felt good to have a partner that liked to broadcast you to everybody and let people know that he was yours and vice versa. She never knew she'd be the one to enjoy the feeling of knowing that Chris likes people to know that they're together but here they are.

There's a small notification noise that pings from Chris' bedside table and she ignores it because she's too engrossed on reliving today's festivities in her head.

They were in Southern California for a dinner honoring Jonah at the Pritzker Estate on the eleventh and would remain in SoCal for dozens of other meeting and events taking place throughout the town, the promptly after that her and Meagan would stay out for another week and spend their first Thanksgiving with Chris' family. 

She was nervous for that meeting because the last time she went home to meet a significant other's families, she's certain that she was a Senior in High School and she wasn't that much into the guy.

Not to mention the fact that she would have Meagan in tow and didn't want to see so forward with the family.

The only thing that really sets her mind at ease was meeting Chris' sister, Parker and her son, Josh at the amusement park earlier. Fortunately for her and her sanity, Parker was just as nice as advertised and it was hard to believe that a woman that kind and soft-spoken was one of the best Lawyers in Southern California.

There are a few more chimes coming from Chris' phone and she takes it as an opportunity to turn the television up, distracting her from the repetitive noise it makes because it drives her fucking insane when she's trying to unwind at the end of the day.

 _"Baby?"_ Chris' voice bleeds through the walls.

"What?" she responds, smiling at her phone as she scrolls to a photo of a shirtless Chris helping Meagan at the beach a month prior when they were in San Fransisco for a business trip.

"Can you shut off my phone? I can hear the sound through the walls." 

"Sure." she yawns and rolls to his side of the bed, reaching out for his cellphone that's plugged into the charger.

The minute she picks up the phone, it buzzes to life as a call comes in. 

She flips over the phone and checks the caller ID, making sure that it's not an important call but, she doesn't recognize the name. 

'Mallory Sierra' is the name of the caller and from her recollection, she doesn't recall ever meeting someone with that name for the life of her and can't exactly put that name to a face she might've seen before.

She hits the decline button and sees a series of text messages lined up in Chris's notifications all from the same person.

She shouldn't check it.

She _really_ shouldn't check it.

She shouldn't check it because she trusts Chris and reading through his personal messages and calls would be a total invasion of privacy and they just don't do that. What they have is good and might be one of the best things she's ever had in terms of relationships and she doesn't want to jeopardize all of the for what could possibly be a false alarm.

But, he did technically give her permission to turn off his phone.

So, she goes to actually shut off his phone but the phone gives a stern buzz as a new message comes in.

_'Do you want to meet tomorrow after the event? We can talk then'_

Now she certainly doesn't know what's going on because Chris had told her that after the event tomorrow they would drive around the city for an impromptu late-night date night while Chris' sister babysat Meagan.

All of her sanity and well-being goes out the window the minute she remembers Chris' passcode and her curiosity takes over her mind and fingertips and before she knows it, she's in his phone, scrolling through his messages.

_'What day did you get into town?'_

_'On Monday...Jonah has an event at the Pritzker estate this Saturday."_

_"It's Thursday. What have you been doing all week?"_

_'I've been showing Amy and Meags around LA. Today we went to Disneyland.'_

_'Pretty sure I saw that on your Instagram, are you and this Amy chick serious? You never met my kid before, lol'_

_'I think so, she's a keeper'_

_'Does she know about the tape yet?'_

_"No."_

_"Yikes, why not?'_

_'She's not ready to know, trust me. Besides, it's still early'_

_'Well, if she really loved you like I love you then she would forgive you and carry on'_

The phone falls out of her hands before she can help it and she's livid. 

That fucking bastard.

First of all, what is this tape about and why should she fucking forgive him for it? From the way this 'Mallory' character alludes to things, she can already tell that she's not going to be so forgiving when it comes to this tape of Chris possibly doing god knows what.

Second of all, _who_ is this Mallory person and why is she telling Chris that she loves him and basically comparing her affections to Amy?

She's so pissed off that it's an out-of-body experience for her as she angrily rolls out of bed and begins flying across the room, locating her items and suitcase to get the fuck out of here the minute she can. 

How dare he cheat on her like this?

Fucking handsome ass goddamn shitting cunt.

What they have is amazing, they work well with one another and she's never felt so connected with someone in the way she has with him before. 

She's moving so fast that she doesn't even know what's she stuffing in her suitcase but, she figures it would be best to throw everything into her suitcase and dictate what belongs to her and what doesn't belong to her later.

Fuck, she has to find out where to go besides here.

She supposes if she calls Madelyn then she can find a hotel for her and Meagan for the night so she can just...breathe away from Chris right now, whether it's in this house without him or elsewhere.

Shit, she's going to have to handle waking Meagan up and convincing her to pack her stuff up which won't work because Meagan adores Chris and his fucking Beverly Hills Bachelor mansion they're all staying in right now.

There's so much going on that she can't even function properly and it's killing her.

She doesn't like not being in control of her emotions, she doesn't like being used, and she especially doesn't like being cheated on, not for one fucking second.

As she tries zipping up her suitcase, it hits a snag and she's left swearing at the inanimate object like a fucking institution patient, hitting and punching the bag, praying that it'll just fucking close so she can move on.

"Whoa. You okay?" Chris's voices approach her from behind.

She stands to her feet, turning around to confront him for the first time and even though it's only been a few minutes, everything's changed. The fun-loving, flirty dynamic they shared is now gone and is instead replaced with grey and Amy's red-hot rage.

"You _fucking_ dick." she pushes him away from her, he stumbles back and the back of his knees hit the bed, sending him to sit right down and look at Amy in surprise.

"What the fuck ar-"

"Mallory called, she wants to know when you can fucking meet her again." she informs him angrily, not holding back for one second, "She also mentioned a goddamn tape that you never told me about." 

"What, you're reading my fucking texts now?" 

"You told me to you, goddamn liar." she retorts, her eyes dangerously zeroing in on him like he's a target, "Who is Mallory Sierra and why is she telling you that she loves you." 

For the life of him, he looks so surprised and caught off-guard that it takes him longer than usual to give her one of the smooth-talking responses he's usually so natural at giving her. 

Now, his eyes just widen at her in disbelief and he's stoic.

"Who is she, Chris?" she demands again, not keeping her voice down.

"No one, baby." he protests, standing to his feet and taking her hands with his, "It's just a family friend, that's all." 

She hates being lied to.

"Don't fucking lie to me!" her voice breaks in the middle, "What is this tape she's talking about? Tell me. Tell me right fucking now."

 _"Babe."_ he tries to put his hands on her shoulder but from the look she gives him, he knows to stand the fuck back and proceed with caution, "I genuinely don't know what tape she's talking about, she's just some...horny political fangirl that wants fifteen minutes of fame, that's it." he insists.

He's lying and she fucking knows it.

"Stop lying to me." she shakes her head defiantly.

"I'm not lying to you." 

 _"Yes,_ you fucking are." 

 _"No,_ I'm fucking not."

"Yes you fucking are!" she screams at the top of her lungs, she flings a bottle of Tylenol near his head and lucky for him, he ducks in time and the bottle slams against the wall, leaving a minor dent.

"Will you calm down before you fuck up my fucking house?" he roars back at her, his nostrils flaring.

She laughs maniacally at that because with the mini squabbles and arguments they've had or whenever he's gotten angry, Chris has shown no problem in raising his voice at her and launching miscellaneous items at the wall whenever he got that angry.

"You said she was a family friend first then political fangirl not even thirty seconds later." she laughs.

"I don't know who the fuck she is!" he protests again, "Now will you please stop fucking yelling at me like some crazy bitch?"

 _"Crazy bitch?"_ her eyes darken at him.

"Yeah, a crazy bitch, Amy. Calm the _fuck_ down." he claps his hands at her.

And that's how she _knows_ he's lost his fucking mind. Because he knows better than to call her 'crazy', let alone a 'crazy bitch'. If anything, she's sure that she's being pretty calm with her reaction considering the fact that if she wanted to really let him have it, she would've done it by now. 

Then his face softens and she can tell that he's starting to regret speaking to her like that.

"Ames..you know I didn't mean that." 

She chews on her bottom lip, dictating her next move because she doesn't want to lose him just yet but, she wants the truth and she wants it badly. Not for herself but, for the sake of this relationship they've made with one another in the past few months.

 _"Chris."_ she releases a strained breath and gives him a pointed look, "I'm going to ask you one more time if you know who the fuck this is and what she's talking about. If you sit here and lie to me again, I will take my shit and walk the fuck out of your life for good. Do you fucking understand me?"

He rolls his eyes and gives a weak nod.

Amy clears her throat and bends down to her knees, looking him right in the eye once and for all.

"Do you or do you not, know who this girl is and what she's talking about?"

There's a moment when Chris' head hangs in shame and from that reaction alone, she already has her fucking answer.

And she doesn't know what's worse, knowing his answer without him saying anything or knowing how badly he wants to lie to her again.

And she hates it.

She hates it all.

* * *

_ Meagan Brookheimer, daughter of Amy Brookheimer, admitted to hospital HOURS after Chris Blake scandal. _

_Politico_

_ "Amy is in complete denial over all of this. She's been an emotional wreck for hours" An inside source speaks on Amy Brookheimer following the news of her partner, Chris Blake's, infidelity. _

_Guardian_

_ Video: Chris Blake arrives at the Children's National Hospital of DC and ignores questions and accusations of cheating and his sex-tape as he enters the building. _

_TMZ_

_ Here's how much jail time Chris Blake can serve for that sex-tape. _

_Telegraph_

_ Chris Blake's mistress, Mallory Sierra's shocking new claims against Blake! _

_Mashable_

_ Uh oh, Chris Blake's sister, Parker Blake, just called Amy Brookheimer a 'Shallow c***' on Instagram after news that Brookheimer unfollowed Blake. _

_Cosmopolitan_

_ Gallery: All of Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake's cutest moments _

_PopSugar_

_ Inside of Amy and Chris' relationship, here's where it went wrong. _

_E! Online_

_ "As of right now, Chris' main focus is to win back Amy and Meagan's affection and making it known how much he loves and adores them' _

_InTouch Weekly_

_ We Stand With Chris Blake, and here's why you should too.  
_

_Playboy Magazine_

_Apparently Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake might be breaking-up and this feels like my parents are divorcing._

_Buzzfeed_

_"He bought us wine and lingerie when we were sixteen!" One of Blake's Bunnies (whose in the tape) speaks up for the first time since the leak._

_Fox News_

_ #AmyTakeChrisBack is the #3 trending moment in the US on Twitter after Chris Blake posts an emotional post to Brookheimer on social media, calling her the 'One and only love in his entire life'  
_

_The Washington Times_

* * *

 

_ Present _

"Were you ever going to tell me the truth about the tape?" Amy breaks the silence.

Chris puts the car in park, leaning back in his seat.

"Eventually. _I just._..I just didn't know if you'd be ready to hear about it." he shuts off the car, dazing off at the lake in front of them as the rain drizzles down, splattering against the windshield of the car.

She swallows air at that, not making an effort to wipe the tears away from her eyes.

There's too much going on, from Meagan being in the hospital to god knows what, to her stomach just not agreeing with her whatsoever and Chris throwing them into a whirlwind of bullshit, she feels absolutely terrible both physically and emotionally that all she wants to do is go back to sleep and be done with this day already.

"So you figured it would be better if I found out from the internet...in front of the whole goddamn world?" the pain hits her again as she mentions it.

"Babe-"

"Not to mention the fact that you fucking proposed to me, knowing that you were fucking someone else and lying to me about this whole fucking tape." her voice is tense, "That's five years of you lying to me." 

"I didn't lie to you." he protests, his voice strained with emotion and it pushes her over the edge.

Before she knows it, she falls into a heap of furious and fast tears, her body shaking with each tremble and snotty sob she releases.

"Can you please stop fucking lying to me?" she turns to him fast, "Everyone knows about the tape, everyone knows about you fucking someone else and most importantly, everyone thinks I'm a fucking idiot for staying with you." 

"I'm sorry, okay?" his voice is soft-spoken and calm, matching the grey atmosphere of the rainy Washington day that surrounds their car, "The shit I've put you through is.. _.awful_ and believe me when I say I know I fucked up."

She chooses not to look at him, keeping her eyes straight and set on the lake.

"If you didn't want to be with me, then you could've just said so." she grits out.

This isn't the first time she's felt like this before. If anything, this feeling of not being enough has reared it's head at her more times than she would've liked in her romantic past. Whenever she's with Chris, she feels like enough and it's like she knows that he knows that she's enough.

But if him cheating on her is true, then she's back to feeling the same way she did with Buddy or even fucking Dan. The feeling of uncertainty and feeling worthless; like you're not a factor and no matter what you do won't ever get you to that position of feeling desired. 

When she's with Chris she doesn't feel like that. 

But now, with all of this, she's starting to feel that way again.

 “Will you _please_ stop doing that?”  He throws his head against the seat.

”Stop what? _Talking_? Her eyes flash dangerously at him, pretty much warning him the more he pokes her, the harder she’ll come out.

“Playing the fucking victim card, if I wanted to, I’d sit here and ask you all kinds of questions you _don’t_ want to answer.” His eyes darken at her as his hand grips the steering wheel.

Was he fucking serious?

She  _is_ the victim in this scenario. He cheated on her, lied to her and made her look like a fucking idiot and because of that she’s in the wrong? Had he kept his eye contact eye level versus on other women’s goddamn tits then maybe, _just fucking_ maybe he would’ve fucking realized that the only man she’s ever had her sights on or really cared about was him.

”I _am_ the victim, you dick.” She furiously removes her seatbelt, “What part of that do you just not understand?” 

“The part where you _say_ you’re mad and embarrassed but you turn around and slobber down your deadbeat baby-daddy _in_ the lobby of the fucking children’s hospital your daughter is checked into.” He points at her accusingly, “You’ve got a lot of fucking nerve screaming at me like you’re the fucking Virgin Mary.”

“That’s not even what fucking happened.”

“I saw it, Amy!”

”You saw what he _wanted_ you to see.” She screeches at him, “He wanted someone to see us kiss because he knew it would piss you off and fuck everything up. But thanks to you, everything’s already fucked up and this is literally making everything worse. Instead of trying to fucking explain yourself to me, you’re sitting here getting your ego fucked up over somebody who does not fucking matter.”

”So this is all my fault?” 

“ _Yes_!” She claps her hands instantly, “It _is_ your fault and you can go fuck yourself for trying to pin any of this on me.” 

“Amy, you have one more goddamn time to blame me for some shit that I didn’t fucking do or I swear to fucking god I’ll-“

”What are you gonna do?!” She challenges him because she’d really like to see him _try_  to charm his way out of here, “Are you gonna h-“

They’re interrupted by a knock on the window.

They turn to see Agent Rutherford standing outside of Chris’ window, removing his sunglasses and giving a knowing nod.

Chris groans and opens the door, letting the agent crane his neck in.

”Mr. Blake, Ms. Brookheimer, it appears that on the southwest side of the river, we have three cameramen on site, photographing you and your conversation. We need to move you two out of this area.” He informs them, the raindrops landing ever so peacefully on the top of his brunette buzz-cut, “I’ve been informed that Meagan is awake back at the hospital via Ms. York and she’s demanding to see you both.”

 _Fuck_.

“What do you want to do?” Chris runs a hand through his hair, turning to face Amy in her seat.

Amy’s shoulders fall, for the first time in ages, she genuinely doesn’t know what to do and quite literally makes her stomach churn. 

She ignores him and leans forward to look at Agent Rutherford.

”I’d like to return to the hospital please.” Amy orders tight-lipped, keeping her emotions in check now that she's aware that there are more eyes on her than she had originally anticipated.

Agent Rutherford nods and gives them clear instructions on following them and rolling their windows up as they make their way back to the hospital, especially now since with traffic it's gonna be a good thirty minutes to make it back. 

The minute he closes the door shut, he turns to Amy yet again, his eyes brimmed with tears of what seems like regret.

As they pull away from the parking lot and follow the sleek black Escalade, they're both quiet, trying to figure out where to go from here.

It's not until they make it onto the crowded freeway and they're stuck in traffic that he breaks the silence yet again.

"Look. You may not believe anything I'm saying right now but, I'm here for you and Meagan, regardless of whether or not you want me here." he gazes at her as she tries her absolute hardest to keep looking at the road ahead of her. 

"I don't want you here, Meagan does." 

"Well I'm still fucking here, okay?" he huffs out, "Now we can deal with this bullshit later but for now, for the sake of Meags, lets put all of this behind us for now, can we please do that?"

She knows that handling Meagan while she undergoes whatever it is she's dealing with might be easier for everyone involved. As much as she hates to admit it now. The fact that her child is literally in a hospital bed, crying in pain for Chris to come and save her from the pain is all she needs to know that she has to for the sake of her child, brush this to the side until Meagan's well enough to move on.

 _"Fine."_  her stomach churns, "The minute we're out of that hospital, we're fucking talking though. No more bullshitting and stalling for time."

"Fine." he rolls his eyes.

* * *

 

  _November 28th, 2019_

"Did you ever extend our invitation to Dan, we would've loved to have seen-"

 _"Nope."_ Amy cuts her mother off almost instantly, focusing on getting Meagan to latch onto the nipple of her bottle (Which was a lot harder than it fucking sounded, _god,_ her child was so fucking stubborn-which isn't that much of a surprise considering who her parents are).

"Has he even spoken to you?" her mother carefully takes a seat in the teal armchair placed on the outskirt of Amy's old room, directly near a coffee table Amy's parents had converted into her high school memories (Including the dreaded Senior portrait that she hated looking at for the life of her).

She looks up from Meagan and gives her mom an audible sigh.

"I blocked his number, Mom." she informs her with a sharp tongue, "And even if I didn't then I still doubt I'd hear anything from him."

And this is _exactly_ why she was dreading the Holiday season this year. Now that she had Meagan, she was subjected to the awkward hugs and smiles from her parents who were trying their best to be supportive of her whole 'Single mom' thing then to Sophie being at the height of her bitchiness now that Amy was in the same boat as her; lonely and a single mother.

(If she could, she'd abandon ship the minute she could but now, having her daughter made it a shit ton harder)

"I'm so disappointed in Dan." her mom shakes her head and leans back in the armchair with a heavy sigh, "I expected more from him."

Amy doesn't bother to conceal the laugh that burbles from her chest as she cradles Meagan to her chest and maneuvers closing the bottle with the lid and placing it on the side table, preparing to burp Meagan.

"Yeah well, he's used to being a disappointment." Sophie breezes into the room with their parent's new dog, Cami trotting in at her heels, jolting Meagan to alert from the loud sounds of her jingling keychain, "Wait till you sleep with him. Right, Ames?" 

God, she fucking hated Sophie.

"Sophie!" their mother scolds, "Will you be nice to your sister for once, it's the Holidays." 

She keeps her eyes focused on Meagan whose practically squirming in her eyes at the sight of the small dog, circling around Amy as she sits on the ground, her Chocolate brown eyes dilated in wonder at the tan animal barking and panting in delight.

"I'm positive she'd rather deal with me tearing her a new one versus her deadbeat baby-daddy, Mom." Sophie declares strongly and bends down to look Meagan square in the eye, "And I'm _so_ much funnier than your Daddy, right Meags?"

She knows that Sophie is halfway expecting Meagan to have some extravagant reaction to the baby voice Sophie uses with her but, Meagan's smile fades and her head tilts in confusion, her eyes studying her Aunt in complete and utter confusion.

"Sophie." her mom's voice is stern and serious, " _Stop_ it," she orders demandingly which prompts Sophie to give a dramatic groan and stand from the ground, rolling her eyes like a fucking teenager.

"No Mom, it's fine." Amy waves a dismissive hand, placing Meagan on her stomach so she can roll around carelessly and let Amy's arms be free from the heaviness she holds, "Lord knows how much of a confidence boost this is for Sophie and her dwindling self-esteem." 

"Say what you want about my baby-daddies but at least mine didn't announce the birth of our child as if it wasn't theirs on live fucking television." 

"They don't." Amy shrugs, "They just turn around and fuck their sisters rather than being fathers to kids who are really their nieces and nephews."

"That was _one_ time."

"That's what _you_ think." Sophie challenges her.

"That's what I know you hormonal, sadistic bitch." Amy doesn't hold back her tongue despite the fact her daughter is only inches away from her, gleefully fisting the fabric of the cover she rolls on.

If Amy could have it her way, she'd be back at the EEOB building as always, getting off her ass and doing something productive by bossing Jonah the fuck around while Meagan either napped in her office or was being watched by her assistant, Madelyn. The only reason Amy was actually at her parent's house was simply because of her parent's dramatic demands of them celebrating Meagan's first Thanksgiving.

Sure, she could've just sent Meagan to her parent's house without her needing to come (And she thought about it too for a brief minute) but, she wasn't exactly in the mood to deal with her Mom's whining on the phone when Meagan showed up without Amy. So, she figured it would just be best to get it over with and go.

Unfortunately for her, as the years went on and on, the Holidays got tougher and tougher. 

Last Christmas, she was pregnant and had to sit through the fucking Q&A her parents and Sophie had subjected her to in front of Sophie's kids that promptly lasted all night and now, she had the baby and things only got tougher.

It doesn't help the situation that Meagan is so clearly and obviously Dan's. With her adorably scattered freckles, soft chocolate patch of hair resting on top of her head and her jewel-like Hershey brown eyes, it wasn't hard for her family to pinpoint exactly who the father was. 

"Grandma, there's a man downstairs waiting for Aunt Amy, he says that it's related to the Veet." Sophie's youngest, Joaquin makes his way into the small bedroom.

"Veep." Amy corrects him and feels a weight taken off her fucking shoulders, "And _that_ is my cue to leave." 

Even though Amy had left Dan's name off the birth certificate and refused to release Dan's name to the public as Meagan's biological father she still had to face the wrath from her family (Well, only her Dad and Sophie) during the Holiday season and oh yeah, every other day in the fucking year. 

"Amy, honey, you don't have to take her with you." her mother protests, "At least leave Meagan with us so we know she's safe." 

"She will be safe, she'll be with me." she snaps a tad bit harsher than she would've liked to her Mom and begins locating Meagan's objects around the room, "Can you please give me my phone back? I have to go to work." 

Isn't this what they wanted for her though? A fucking kid to make her 'happier' or whatever the fuck it is they insisted up and down the arrival of her own child would magically bring into her life when they were all in the hospital after her Dad's first stroke. Sure, Meagan admittedly brought her newfound contentment in her life but, that doesn't automatically mean that they were completely correct and all was right in the world.

She still had a death grip on her phone, work still stressed her out and she hadn't felt the touch of a man in what feels like fucking ages (Well, she hasn't slept with anyone since Meagan's conception so that's looking at about twelve going on thirteen months right now and even though that was the last thing on her mind, it's been _ages_ for fuck's sake).

"Honey, if this is about what Sophie's said about Dan then at least listen to her apology." Her mother stands to her feet, pulling Sophie towards Amy who remains on her knees on the ground, pulling Meagan's belongings together, "Sophie is sorry. Right, Soph?"

"Nope, not really."

"As if I give a shit what it is you think." Amy grits out as she crosses over to Meagan's car seat and carefully places her inside, making quick work of strapping her into the belt and buckles of the fucking thing (Had she know that these fucking contraptions took a fucking Mathematician to put together she would've phoned Kent Davison for guidance on this _ages_ ago)

"You say that but you're practically tripping over your tits to get out of here." Sophie bellows over her shoulder as she turns away from the room in the hallway, "Have fun trying to squeeze your post-partum twat into those skin-tight dresses you never pulled off anyway."

"Sophie, stop-"

"Pretty bold of a minimum wage-earning, hillbilly fucking, CVS Cashier to come after _me_ about my goddamn weight." Amy bellows, letting her voice echo through the room, not feeling guilty as her Mom stands on the opposite side her room, quiet and stoic as the scene unfolds in front of her.

From the look in Meagan's wide eyes, she can tell that she's due for a nap in the next few minutes and Amy internally cheers. If she's lucky and Meagan falls asleep on their ride back to the White House then she can easily hand her off to Madelyn or one of the few interns that always babysit her whenever she's working around the clock, putting out any potential fires Jonah manages to make.

"Amy, honey-"

 _"Mom."_ her hands fly up in the air, cutting her Mom off almost instantly, "I need to go to work and if I stay in this house for another second then I'm going to lose what's already left of my mind. Can you please just give me my phone so I can head in?"

Her Mom gives her a deflated sigh at that and turns around, approaching Amy slowly as she makes quick work of securing Meagan in her car seat and folding the small blanket over the child's small, squirming body.

"I'll talk to Sophie, make sure she knows that what she said was wrong and she had no right saying any of that in front of Meagan." her mother suggests, more than informing her, letting her steely blue eyes burning into Amy with guilt clear on her face. 

"What? So she can turn around and say it _behind_ Meagan's back?" Amy spreads her arms wide, giving up with trying to appease everybody, "I love you Mom, I genuinely do but by God, I'm not going to keep coming over here if she's going to act like that. Especially in front of Meagan."

"I understand, Honey."

"No, Mom." Amy shrugs on her trench coat, pulling her hair into a low ponytail with a hair tie she locates in her coat pocket, "I don't think you do, because if you did then you'd stop kicking a dead horse with trying to get Sophie and me to get along. 

It's not like she wishes to act or say stuff like this around or even near her Mother. But, her tolerance for Sophie, her over-the-line comments and behavior regarding her and her life was starting to set her off to an astronomical level. She knows plenty of people who purposely lose contact with their siblings and seem quite content with their life and trust and believe she is not afraid to become a proud member of that population.

One of the things about getting older is that you pick and choose your fucking battles.

When she and Sophie were younger and lived under the same rough, Amy was subjected to dealing with all of her sister's devilish personality due to the sheer fact that they were simply children. But now, Amy was a grown-ass adult and she didn't need to face this if she didn't want to.

"Well, you have to get to work and do I'd hate to keep you for any longer..." Her mother gives her a sad smile, returning Amy's phone back to her hands, "Do you need any help getting Meagan in the car?"

 _"Nope."_ she discards her phone in her pocket and reaches out to grab ahold of Meagan's car seat.

"Well, would you like any leftovers?"

"No." 

"Oh Amy, don't be ridiculous. We have plenty of food for you to take back home with you." her mother informs her with a warm tone, "I know how much you like Macaroni and Cheese and you barely ate any ton-"

"Mom, I'm really fine." she makes her way down the staircase, noticing Agent Youngblood standing at the bottom of the staircase.

Once she gets to the bottom of the staircase, she transfers Meagan's car seat to Agent Youngblood as she takes the chance to straighten herself together and give one final look to her mom who stands at the bottom of the staircase, her eyes large with worry.

"Well...just be safe out there, honey." she nervously plays with her fingers, "And if there's anything you need, _please_ call me."

Any other day? Sure

But after Today? Hell no.

But she doesn't say that to her mom upfront, she doesn't deserve it. 

instead, she just gives her a small hug and lets her know that she'll call her if anything does in fact, go wrong today.

* * *

 

_Booze, Babes, and Books: Details of the Blake Life (and why I got out)._

_Written By: Mallory Sierra_

No one understands the pain I've gone through. No one understands the life I've had to live because of this man and his troubling infidelity. 

Many people are curious as to how and why I can love someone so strongly despite the fact that they're in a very public, committed relationship of their own and to be quite honest, it's because of love. Love is a very powerful tool, it can get even the strongest of beings to do anything in the world of the sole purpose of making their heart warm in love and affection. 

It breaks my heart to know that people will dimish the love and connection the two of us share as nothing but a brief 'hookup' or 'affair' when we both know in our souls that it was something much deeper. The nights when he was in Southern California and he invited me to his house, he would always concoct some miraculous plan of how the two of us would maybe one day retire to Wine Country and live our best lives all while sipping on Château Lafite as we watched the sunset. He would do all of this, only to turn around (Sometimes not even five minutes later) and post a swoon-worthy post of just how beautiful his partner and adopted-stepdaughter was as they both sat at home in DC not knowing just what their knight-in-shining-armor was up to. Because I loved him, I ignored this. I figured that whatever issues Chris and Amy were having had nothing to do with me considering the fact that Chris' attraction to me had already been established both mentally and physically prior to him even meeting Amy. What can I say? Love makes you do stupid things. 

When he was back in DC, he consistently messaged me; checking in on me, making sure I was well accounted for, that my son was okay, that his house was okay, that I was mentally okay and most importantly, that our tape was far from the public. It wasn't until recently I discovered that this behavior is not only obsessive but extremely controlling. Some nights, when I had informed him I would be attending a party or event, he always made me send him a photo of my outfit to make sure it received his stamp of approval (Also a strategy coined by good ol' Uncle Hugh). Again, because I loved him, I obliged and always sent him a photo of my outfits and waited by the phone to get his consent.

In our last encounter, not even a few days ago, we were both set to appear at a GQ Men's Party at the Cicada Club and things took a turn for the worse and it snapped me out of this decade long bubble I had been trapped in. 

We had just finished having sex when he had decided it was time for us to get ready for the party. Agreeing, I had quickly gotten dressed in my red leather jumpsuit and informed him I was ready. When he had looked at me, the smile I fell in love with faded and he shook his head at me much like a disappointed father of a middle school daughter. 

"You're not leaving the house like that." he had informed me, turning around to finish preparing himself for the party.

At that point, I was furious. I had purchased this suit because I liked it, not because Chris liked it and for the first time in my life it felt like I was doing something for myself, not for anybody else. Instead of me just agreeing with him and changing into whatever would've checked his boxes, I insisted that I was wearing the outfit regardless of what he thought or felt about it. 

This was a big step for me. Chris has acted as my financial support and secret lover for almost a decade so, by doing this, I was standing up for myself in ways I had never known I was capable of doing. Unfortunately, the glee of my power resurgence didn't last long. 

Almost instantly, we got into a screaming match. This isn't anything unusual though, we've gotten into arguments before but this one ended in blood, literally. When I had told him once and for all that I'd call Amy myself and let her know just how loyal he is to her, he slapped the ever-loving shit out of me and sent me straight to the ground.

This wasn't the first time Chris hit a woman and it's certainly not the last.

Has he hit Amy?

No idea

But would he hit Amy?

_Absolutely._

* * *

 

_ Present _

"So, she needs to have emergency surgery?" Amy blinks at Doctor Thorne in disbelief.

"Unfortunately yes." Doctor Thorne gives a small nod, "Meagan's gallbladder is extremely inflamed, it's filled with too much bile, our safest option is to quickly go in, remove the gallbladder from her bile duct and let her rest a few days to begin her recovery process."

When she looks down in the hospital bed, she sees Meagan snuggled against Chris, wrapped in her favorite green blanket as tears stream down her face.

"Do I have to have surgery?" she cries out, "Can't I just take antibiotics or something?"

"If you want to be 100% healthy again then yes, surgery is our only option." Dr. Thorne gives her a sad smile, tucking a strand of her red hair behind her ear, "The good news is that the minute we remove it from your system, your nausea will be relieved." 

She groans at that, burying her head into Chris' chest.

"I don't want it though." 

She reaches out and rubs her daughter's arm up and down, trying to relax her.

"I know baby, I know." her heart breaks as she watches her innocent daughter wince in pain, wishing she could take an ounce of the pain away from her daughter and place it on someone else (Ahem, Chris). 

But like she figured (and feared), Chris was doing a great job at keeping Meagan calm. 

The minute they had arrived back to the hospital and escaped the pesky photographers, Chris had secured a spot right next to Meagan and catered to her every whim. He got her ice, water, made her release a few weak laughs, convinced her to watch some TV and had the bucket ready for her every time she needed to puke (And for some strange reason, that was more often than Amy had wished).

"When's the soonest she can go into the surgery suite?" Chris questions, rubbing Meagan's back as she continues to cry.

"We typically like to wait until her nausea subdues a tad bit so, the earliest we're thinking of might be tomorrow morning because she can't even hold down water at this point and we just fed her a small dosage of Promethazine to see if we can speed up the curbing of her nausea." she takes a quick look of her chart and crosses over to Meagan, sticking a forehead thermometer to her head, "And her fever is still sitting at 110 right now so, the earliest is looking like tomorrow morning." 

Fuck, that extends their trip to the hospital to another day and that's two days of her not being able to go to work.

"So what do you recommend we do?" Amy tries, "I mean, does she just lay here and suffer for the next few hours?" 

If that's the case then they may just have to cancel the surgery altogether because there's nothing she hates more than seeing her baby in pain, and she doesn't know if she can do seventeen hours of watching Meagan wince around in pain in a hospital bed.

"That and waiting to see if the medicine kicks in, you're lucky you brought her in when you did, her gallbladder is in a terrible condition right now and her health is rapidly declining." Dr. Thorne gives a sympathetic smile.

From the exhaustion in her body to the sharp pain of nausea in her stomach, she's truly not in the mood to deal with any of this right now so, she just averts her attention back to her daughter who clenches her stomach.

"Meagan, try to get some rest, honey." Dr. Thorne gives her a pat on the shoulder, "I'll come back and check in on you in about an hour to see how you're handling the medication, okay?" 

Meagan gives a small nod and wipes her eyes, "Thank you, Dr. Thorne."

When she's out of the room, Amy takes in the large room.

There are flowers, balloons and teddy bears of all shapes and sizes filling the room and it's almost enough to bring tears to her eyes in a weird way.

When she was pregnant with Meagan, she had no one's support, everyone kept filling her head with the notion that having the baby and actually raising it would fuck everything up and that nobody would ever love them the way they should've been loved. Going from that to seeing all of the love and support she's receiving is quite eye-opening and surreal for Amy.

She doesn't really know if she deserves love in her life but, she's sure that her daughter deserves it more than anybody. 

"Why is everybody from work outside?" Meagan yawns slowly, her eyes squinting at the dim light of the room as she attempts to fully open her eyes. 

There's a moment when she and Chris exchanged a look of panic but she ignores it.

"They're all here for you, baby." Amy runs a hand through her daughter's soft hair, "They wanted to make sure you were okay so they moved everything from work to here today."

"That's stupid, what if Uncle Jonah does something stupid?" she groans.

Ugh, the kid had a fucking point. 

"He'll do something stupid regardless." Chris speaks up, "It's important you get some rest though." he pats the girl's head.

Meagan nods and takes a small sip of her water, "The thought of sleep makes me want to puke." she complains, snuggling into the Tinkerbell doll Chris hands her after he reaches into his bag and hands the toy to Meagan.

"Well, if you need to puke, I have the bucket for you," Chris informs her.

She can't take this anymore.

She needs to talk to somebody.

Without thinking, she takes Chris' car keys, drops a kiss on Meagan's forehead and tells both of them she'll return in a few minutes.

She doesn't know if this could her life?

Looking in the eyes of the man she loves every day as he continues to hurt and use her for his own personal satisfaction.

She's done it once before and she hated every minute of it.

Especially not in this situation.

* * *

 

"How long have you known?" Michelle questions her as they sit in Chris' car in the parking lot.

"Since Monday, after work." Amy sighs, gripping her hands on the steering wheel.

In the background, there are the subtle noises of car horns and tires screeching on the concrete floors of the parking lot and it's enough to further strengthen Amy's headache. 

"Have you told Chris yet?" 

"No." 

"What about Meagan?"

"Nope."

"So you haven't told anybody yet?" 

Amy takes a deep breath and shakes her head, "Nobody but you." she shrugs her shoulders, "I was going to tell Chris when he got back home but, all of this came up and...I'm not sure I even want to tell him anymore." 

"I mean, you don't have to, he'll find out eventually." 

"That's the thing." the tears sting Amy's eyes strongly, "I don't know if I ever want him to find out," she admits, slapping her hand against her forehead at the thought of Chris finding out the news of her now being pregnant. 

"How many weeks are you?"

"Seven," she admits, her vision going blurry for a second.

A few weeks ago, Amy had gone to the Doctor's for her annual checkup and a refill on her birth control only to be told at least two weeks later that she was in fact, pregnant and that birth control should be the least of her worries for the next nine months. 

Sure, when she and Chris had gotten really serious; meeting each other's families, him moving into her house, him actually helping out with Meagan financially, they might've batted around the idea of having a kid a few times but they had never actually pursued the idea of it happening. If anything, the older they got, the more Amy had pushed it to the side because life just got so busy for both of them.

A baby right now, in this climate, would mean a lot of trust between the two of them and after all of this, she doesn't know if she has any left with Chris anymore. Even though she's four-four, she never really considered the fact that she could get pregnant so learning about this was just mind-blowing and absolutely unreal.

(So unreal that after she got off the phone with the doctor, she stared at the wall in her bedroom blankly for a good hour.)

"At the end of the day, this all comes down to what you want to do. Not what Chris wants to do or what your family would want you to do, it's what you think is right to do." Michelle crosses her legs in her seat, "Do you think you want this baby?"

On Monday night, when she was unaware of Chris and his extracurricular activities, she let her mind travel to what it would be like to be pregnant with a partner who is loving and supporting like Chris. Being pregnant is a long, challenging journey and if you don't have someone you love by your side, it's hard to go through. 

"I'm keeping the baby because it's my kid and I have this ownership for it but, I don't think I'd want Chris in the picture to be completely honest."

Michelle nods slowly at that.

"You don't want him there as a dad or just in general?" 

"In general." the tears stream down Amy's face, "I purposely kept Meagan away from Dan because I knew what he was capable of doing to the both of us, and now that I'm seeing what Chris can do, I don't know if I want the kid around him at all."

"If that's what you think it's appropriate then I support you with that decision because I know what it's like to want the best for your kid and keep them out of harm's way." Michelle plays with the material of her cream-white sweater.

There's no doubt in her mind that Chris would be a phenomenal father. The past four years he's spent helping her with Meagan is better than the eighteen years of parenting some fathers give to their own biological children. But, if Chris is willingly choosing to go down this path he's secretly been living all his life, she doesn't know if she wants to commit to that.

"I mean, I know that once he finds out he'll be furious and demand to be apart of its' life and before I know it, we're in a fucking custody battle over a baby that hasn't been born yet." the thought haunts her. 

Amy doesn't like court.

Never has and certainly, never will.

"You have to think that he'll most likely already be in court over this fucking sex-tape thing too." Michelle reminds her, "He could potentially face time over all of this if they find him guilty of doing it." 

For the life of her, she can't picture Chris in prison.

She knows he's been in jail a few times for a few bar-fights in his hey-day but, she cannot picture him in prison and she certainly cannot see herself bringing their kid to visit him while he sits behind a glass wall. 

Maybe it's the hormones or the realization of all of this hitting her for the first time that makes her fall into a puddle of tears.

God, this really fucking sucked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment!


	9. Drink You Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sure, when his head was buried between Candi's legs, all of this would've sounded like fucking liquid gold and the best way to get Amy back in his arms but now, now it all just seems..wrong.
> 
> After whatever happened at the party, Dan knows he has a long way to go before Amy will even consider looking in his direction without throwing a jab at his face. As much as he wants to do this and just get rid of Chris for once and all...there's this weird feeling in his stomach that surges at the potential wrongness of all of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow!
> 
> The ninth chapter already! This is absolutely insane. 
> 
> I would be an absolute idiot if I didn't thank each and every one of you for being so encouraging, supporting and loving with this story. It's such an honor knowing that there are people in the world who spend the time to even glance over my work and it's an even bigger honor knowing that many of you are enjoying it as well!
> 
> Please make sure you remember to leave a comment and message me on Tumblr what you thought about this chapter! As an author, I love receiving feedback from you guys because it lets me know what you're thinking of the story so far and receiving comments always make my day!
> 
> Again, there are not enough words for me to thank you all for your love and support! If I could I would individually hug every single one of you and give you a personal thank you because the support genuinely means the world to me.
> 
> With that being said, enjoy the ninth chapter of 'If I Never See Your Face Again'!

 

> _I can't drink you away_  
>  _I've tried Jack, I've tried Jim,_  
>  _I've tried all of their friends_  
>  _But I can't drink you away_  
>  _All these rocks_
> 
> _'drink you away' by justin timberlake_

* * *

 

The Sunday after the party, Dan wakes up in a hospital bed.

It's not like he recalls even being near a hospital, if anything, this was a total and complete surprise.

And not the good kind.

His mouth tastes like copper, his stomach growls in pain and his head throbs in an even greater deal of pain.

"Oh, so you are awake." a voice jolts him to alert and he's looking around the room in confusion.

When he looks to the left side of him, he sees his sister, sitting in a chair near the window with an unimpressed look on her soft features.

"Fran? What are you doing here?" he yawns, rubbing the exhaust from his eyes.

Frances groans as she looks up at him from her phone.

"You have alcohol poisoning, dumbass." she informs him, "After you got the living daylights knocked out of you, you slipped into what seemed like a fucking coma." 

Shit, he doesn't even remember any of that.

Who's party did he go to and exactly who the fuck had the balls to punch him and get away with it? 

 _"Party?_ " he winces at the sunlight streaming into the room, "I didn't go to a fucking party."

"You did." Frances informs him, "It was Chris Blake's 50th and he punched the living shit out of you for whatever reason."

Chris punched him? At the party? 

Frances must be right about the whole alcohol poisoning thing because, for the life of him, he can't remember anything about that party besides him walking in. 

"That dick." he grits out, clenching his teeth and resisting the urge to throw up.

"Where's my phone?" he whips his head around the hospital room, "I need my fucking phone." 

Frances groans as she stands from the seat and hands him his cell-phone much against the internal weighing of her options on whether to give it to him or not. Much to his satisfaction, she stands to her feet and hands him his cell phone and returns to her seat with a dramatic huff. 

"I don't know why you're so adamant on having your fucking phone, it's not like you work anyway." Frances tosses her Dark Brown hair behind her shoulder as she stretches her feet out on the table in front of her and rifles through her edition of 'Vogue' once she's settled again.

God, why is she here?

"Why the fuck are you here anyway?" he demands, looking up from his phone as it restarts and it vibrates to life, the apple logo emerging amongst the small dark screen, staring back at him, "Shouldn't you be getting your shoulders redone or some shit?"

She flips him the finger and busies herself by reading whatever mindless, fashion nonsense she's always reading over.

"After you got knocked out at the party and Tony got fired, he called me in a panic because Secret Service had picked the two of you out and he couldn't find his phone and like I usually do, I put my life on pause to save you fucking idiots once again." 

He snorts because he's certain that's bullshit.

He can probably count the number of times Frances (or really, any of his family members) have been present for him or really, have done anything selfless to help someone else that isn't themselves on one fucking pinky.

"Why was Anthony there?" Dan can't help but question because every time his mind goes to think about that fucking party, all he gets is a pitch-black atmosphere staring straight back at him.

Frances pauses as she looks up from her magazine and back at him.

"Do you really not remember what happened?" she binks at him in bewilderment.

"Evidently not." he winces at the feeling of his head throbbing and he uses his free hand to put pressure on his temples.

"All the guards told me is that you were bothering Chris and that they punched you but Anthony told me that he's pretty sure Chris punched you." she discards the magazine on the coffee table in front of her, placing her feet back on the ground.

God, if he thinks about Chris punching him for another goddamn minute, he's certain he'll actually make himself constipated from the fucking anger bubbling inside of him.

"I need to go home." Dan declares, "Where's the fucking Doctor?"

Frances sighs, running a hand through her hair. 

"The Doctor declared that you are a Stage Three alcoholic." she crosses her legs with an audible sigh, "They're looking for rehabilitation centers to send you to next month."

Was she joking?

Did his fucking ghost of a sister just willingly volunteer him to go to a fucking Rehab center while he was in a coma for revenge? Because of that's the goddamn case then Dan will happily spend the next fifteen years sabotaging his bitch of a sister's plastic surgeries by slipping the surgeons a few dollars to make sure they give her face a good dismantling.

"You _bitch,_ " he roars, "you just sat there with your crossed fucking legs and let them do that without stopping them? Are you a fucking idiot of what?"

"Dan, you're sick, okay." she stands to her feet and approaches the bed, "Now just because you seem to not care about yourself anymore doesn't mean that I have to too. In case you haven't noticed, our family is falling apart! Dad died from Alcohol Poisoning and you haven't shown one ounce of respect or care towards me, Ben or even fucking Mom. So yeah, maybe I am a bitch for doing something you're too much of a pussy to do but at the end of the day, I'm doing it for Mom because whether you believe it or not, she loves you and if you die of Alcohol Poisoning like Dad, she'll be fucking distraught and I'll have to fix it." 

He goes quiet at that.

He doesn't have time for this song and dance. 

"You expect me to believe you?" Dan snorts at her not believing her for a fucking inch.

"Yes, I do." she rolls her eyes, "You should believe me because I'm the only person in this fucking world who'll be honest with you and tell you to get your fucking shit together." she grits at him, "Your sixty pounds overweight, your clothes are too small for you, you're a manic-depressant, your on the verge of a newfound STD and don't even get me started on the fact that you seem to be obsessing over some woman who won't even give you the time of day."

Fuck, hearing it like that made it seem a shit-ton worse than it actually was. 

"I'm not _obsessing-"_

"You showed up at the birthday party the woman was throwing for her partner!" she laughs maniacally at him, "How much more of an obsessive creep could you be?" 

"That wasn't the reason." his voice is quiet yet angry.

"Really?" her eyebrows perk up, "What's the real reason then, Dan?" she challenges him with arms folded over her chest.

He can't tell her why though and he shouldn't need to.

He doesn't need to tell her that the real reason why he's doing all of this is to just be with Amy again, the way he's secretly always wanted to and was too big of an idiot to not realize it then.

He doesn't want to tell her that he has a fourteen-year-old daughter who looks just like him and is embarking on the world being raised by someone who isn't him and it bothers him to the fucking core. 

And he certainly doesn't want to tell her that the death of his Dad has fucked him up in ways he cannot even formulate and know, he's scared of turning into an exact replica of his father.

Unfortunately for him, the signs are starting to point that way.

"You wouldn't understand." he feigns, not offering her anything.

She huffs at that and throws her hands in the air, turning around to grab her coat and purse, angrily throwing the designer bag over her shoulder and hanging the coat off her hand.

"Go fuck yourself, Dan." she rolls her eyes, her voice becoming unusually emotional.

When she slams the door shut and the sound ripples through the small hospital room, he can't help but feel a tiny ounce of guilt oddly enough inside of him.

He knew the world and life was truly fucked when his sister made a valid point or two.

* * *

 When he gets home on Monday night, he wants nothing more than to just pour himself a Whiskey and go the fuck to sleep.

Then he gets a phone call from Candi and well, it isn't entirely pleasant.

"What the fuck, Dan?" she angrily shouts into the phone, "You haven't been answering my phone calls."

Dan pinches the bridge of his nose, rolling his eyes at the shrill tone in her voice. 

"I've been busy, sorry if I haven't been able to keep tabs on your super, secret mission on ruining an innocent person's life." 

Apparently, that upsets Candi because she spends the next few minutes berating him for an 'insensitive comment like that when there are young girls like Mallory, Besa, and Pheobe who Chris has taken advantage of in disgusting ways'.

Truth be told, Dan was 0.3 second away from hanging up on Candi until she cleared her throat and demanded that he listen to a new piece of information she had gotten on Chris from the private investigator they had hired. 

"Whatever it is, do you mind just jump-cutting to you telling me it? My stomach is screaming in pain and I don't have the time nor energy to sit around and listen to it for any fucking longer." Dan leans back against his pillows, blowing the air out of his cheeks.

Candi sighs on the other line and returns to herself.

"The tape is a four-way, it's with Chris, Mallory and these two other girls, Besa and Pheobe." Candi admits gleefully, "That alone is more of a scandal that some regular sex-tape." 

Well fuck, that is a juicy scoop.

"That along with the fact that he's slained more pussy than fucking Charles Manson would be enough to get him removed from DC for good," he smirks to himself at the mental image of Chris being thrown out of DC ass first for the whole fucking world to see. 

Ha, post _that_ on your fucking Instagram.

"Then Mallory had this brilliant idea for both Besa and Pheobe to lie about their ages; say that they were sixteen instead of their actual age of eighteen," Candi informs him, her voice slightly burbling. 

"Wait, what?"

Candi snorts at him like he's a toddler that's fallen on his ass and can't get back up.

"We lie about their ages." she repeats herself, "That way, Chris can be put on trial for Statutory Rape, there's a long-drawn-out court battle, Chris is found guilty and thrown into jail for god knows how long then by the time 2035 comes around, the dominoes will all be on the ground and we're looking down the barrel to an impeachment of the Ryan administration." 

Fuck.

Fuck.

Sure, when his head was buried between Candi's legs, all of this would've sounded like fucking liquid gold and the best way to get Amy back in his arms but now, now it all just seems..wrong.

After whatever happened at the party, Dan knows he has a long way to go before Amy will even consider looking in his direction without throwing a jab at his face. As much as he wants to do this and just get rid of Chris for once and all...there's this weird feeling in his stomach that surges at the potential wrongness of all of this. 

"Candi...Candi that's intense." 

He can practically see her shrug nonchalantly on the opposing side of the line. 

"So is hiring a private investigator to stalk some guy you're jealous of." 

"I'm not jealous of him." Dan bolts upright in his bed, the room whizzing around him and he instantly feels dizzy, "And all I'm fucking saying is that the plan seems a little extreme, that's all."

"And?"

"And maybe you should tone it down a bit?" he suggests, "I mean, she has a fucking kid, Candi. I know you couldn't give a shit about Amy and Chris but, Meagan's a kid...just, take that into consideration why don't you." 

Candi snorts at that. 

"You mean the kid she abuses?" Candi blows air out of her cheeks, "Believe me when I say that that child is better off being taken care of by her assistant."

That boils his anger because he knows Amy.

He fucking knows how much she loves Meagan and the dangerous lengths she would go just to keep the hair on that girl's head untouched. He knows that if there's anything remotely dangerous threatening to put Meagan in harm's way, Amy would willingly sacrifice herself without batting an eyelash because her love is that strong.

"That's fucking bullshit and you know it." Dan's voice seethes with anger, not offering a chance for her to explain her claims, "Say what you want about Amy but she's not one of those kinds of people." 

"What is wrong with you?" she questions him, "I mean, do you realize what we can do with this information?"

"You can ruin her life, why can't you just try to ruin Chris' life and leave it at that?"

"Because that's not interesting enough." she scolds him.

"Why can't you just reveal your affair and just move on?" he challenges her.

"It's not even an affair you dick." she rolls her eyes, "We only had sex two times and it was when I moved to New York after graduating college."

 _"What?"_ he viciously roars because now on top of all of this bullshit, Candi fucking lied to him about the only thing he fucking cared about with her and it riles him the fuck up, rightfully so, "He's not even cheating on Amy?" 

"If he is, which he probably is, then it's not with me. That happened in about 2010," she informs him as if they're talking about something as minor as the fucking weather. 

 Fuck, dammit.

So not only was Candi lying but, he had to fucking deal with the aftershocks of all of this. He had alluded to Amy that he had dirt on Chris, dirt that could in fact break the two of them the fuck up but now, with this, it doesn't fucking help anything.

 _"Candi."_ he groans to himself, throwing his head against the pillows in anger, "You don't fucking get it. This fucks literally everything up, don't you understand that we could quite literally go to jail for lying about all of this."

"And so can Chris." she reminds him, "He just needs to get caught before we do, and if we're smart enough, we'll never get caught." 

He can't do this anymore.

He was too far away from Amy to go ahead and pull something like this through the finish line and for the life of him, he just cannot fucking do it anymore.

It's time to throw the fucking towel in. 

"I'm out."

"You're _out?"_ her voice goes up to an intimidating octave, "What the fuck do you mean, you're out? You were the one who orchestrated this whole plan anyway. You hired the PI, you contacted Mallory and you never even gave me a reason to why to help you." 

"That was then, this is now."

"You said all of this like a fucking week ago." she insists. 

"Sorry if I don't feel like going to jail, Candi. Some of us don't want to spend the rest of our lives in a prison cell over a crime they could've avoided." 

She groans on the other side of the line, practically making his phone speaker practically vibrate against his ear.

"You're such a prick, my god." and she hangs up the phone.

And he's never been happier to have a woman hang up his call.

He should do what's right and call Amy, letting her know what to (possibly) expect but, he feels like he's a minute away from puking so, his best bet is to just roll onto his side and go the fuck to sleep.

* * *

 "Oh my god." Frances's face falls the minute he opens his front door and shet gets a good look at him, "What the fuck happened to you?"

She pushes her way past him and enters his apartment without Dan's consent and he's left raising an eyebrow at her.

"Uh.. _.come in?_ " he looks at her in confusion, closing the door shut behind him as she throws her purse on his living room couch, turning around and facing him head-on.

"There was a report that you went to the same hospital Amy Brookheimer's daughter was in and I think I know why." she approaches him, pushing him towards the barstool at his bar countertop.

Fuck.

"You do?" he can't hide the surprise in his voice as she forces him to sit in the stool and she turns around, clamoring through his kitchen cabinets and drawers.

She nods as she rifles through the set of cabinets looming over the stove and she releases an irritated huff.

"Jesus, where is the first aid kit around here?" 

"Don't have one." she pinches the bridge of her nose, "...besides, what the fuck are you doing here?" 

"I was here to check in on you, asshat. You don't get alcohol poisoning only to turn around and not answer your Mother's phone calls about it." she scolds him as if he's her fucking child.

"I haven't gotten her calls." he lies.

 _"Bullshit."_ she throws her hands in the air, crossing over to retrieve her bag and pulling out a first-aid kid the size of a fucking IPad out of her designer bag, "Now can you explain to me how you fucking got this bruised eye." she points at him in disbelief, "You look like a Retirement Rocky." she snorts at him.

He feigns a fake smile. 

"Chris lost his temper and couldn't express himself with his fucking words. That fucking toddler." he groans to himself.

Frances audibly sighs at that as she pops open the white kit, locating a facial wipe with her hands and ripping the package open.

"Please tell me you were sober enough to remember the reason why this time." she leans forward and presses the cold, soaking wipe against the area of his bruised flesh right over and under his right eye.

He winces at the pain.

I kissed his girl in front of him.

"You know I didn't actually hear the reason why in between punches." he shudders in pain, "I was too busy trying to protect myself from the Wrath of Playboy."

There's a knock on the door.

"It looks like his wrath made you his bitch." she steps away and makes his way over to the front door, "Sorry."

"None taken." he groans as Frances' footsteps distance themselves further and further away from him and she makes her way down the small hallway leading to his front doot.

When he picks up his phone to check in with the world, there's a headline that catches his attention.

_'Presidental Media Consultant, Chris Blake, accused of physical and emotional abuse by alleged mistress, Mallory Sierra'_

Considering the number of punches Dan's taken in the past four days, he could've easily revealed this breaking news in his goddamn sleep.

He notices that Frances has been at the door for a few seconds too long and he heaves himself off the stool, following in her footsteps down the hallways, calling her name and asking her who the fuck could be at the door.

Then he sees her. 

It's Amy.

He can't even hide the obvious look of surprise on his face and it's just downright embarrassing.

He stands there in his hallway, his mouth agape and him blinking in confusion, trying to make sure that he's actually seeing her in front of him.

"Ames." 

She nervously tucks a strand of her brunette hair behind her ear and nervously plays with her hands, her eyes darting from both Dan and Frances as she looks especially torn.

"I wanted to uh...stop by and see if you were able to talk but I see you have company." she gives a tight-lipped smile to Frances like she's not even surprised there's a woman in his fucking condo.

The only problem is that his sister is really his fucking sister.

"I'm his sister." Frances chimes in, not bothering to let him explain himself, "I'm Frances, Frances Egan." she extends a hand to Amy who looks every inch of relieved.

Amy shakes her hand with a small smile.

"Amy." she nods, "Amy Brookheimer...it's nice to meet you." she squints her eyes.

Frances turns around to give Dan a raised eyebrow and faces Amy again, rubbing her hands on her designer jeans.

"Well, I'll leave you two to it." she awkwardly steps away from them, making her way back down the hallway, "I have to..call my..bank." she points a thumb behind her as she grasps her purse and goes towards the back of Dan's condo, leaving them alone.

She's dressed in a pair of black leggings and a knitted purple sweater with her brunette hair in natural waves.

"So...what did you want to talk about?" he offers, standing closer to the doorsill.

She nervously looks around her and bites down on her bottom lip, taking a deep breath.

"Can I come in?" her voice is quiet.

Yes.

"Uh..yeah." he steps to the side, letting her come into the hallway and he shuts the door behind her, "We can talk on the Balcony." he points towards the stairs, motioning for her to step in front of him.

Once they step into the grey, chilly air of the rainy spring day on the balcony outside of his office, he feels a tad bit more at ease.

At least when they're together like this, it isn't easy for Amy to escape the conversation or her feelings.

"Shoot away." Dan leans against the door, watching Amy look over the mirror balcony.

"I _just.._.I wanted to say I'm sorry Chris punched you in the face. _Twice._ " Amy shakes her head, "At first I didn't feel guilty by then...it just hit me that, you didn't deserve that in all honesty. Regardless of whether you kissed me or not, you shouldn't have gotten punched like that."

"Thanks but..you don't have to apologize for that." he gives a soft chuckle, "and I'm not exactly sitting around waiting for his apology."

"I know." Amy feigns, "it's just....he gave you a black eye. I knew he could get angry but I didn't know he could get _that_ angry." she keeps her eyes down on the ground as she admits this with a long face.

Dan shrugs, folding his arms over his chest.

"Seriously, Ames. It's fine-"

"No Dan, it's not." she insists, "Yes, you should've kept your hands to yourself but he shouldn't have reacted like that." she shakes her head in disappointment, "especially since Meagan was in the hospital still."

Good, something else to talk about.

"Speaking of Meagan. How is she?"

Amy releases a loud sigh and combs a hand through her hair.

"She's fine...she just got out of surgery and is in the recovery room right now." she informs him, "The surgery went well so now I just have to get her home and find something that she'll hopefully eat."

"Well, do you need any help with that?" he offers, "My diet is pretty strict and I can show you a few things she might be able to eat."

Amy's eyes widen at his offer in complete and utter shock, it's been a while since he's seen her up close like this and he's forgotten just how cartoonish her features are and it's everything.

"I don't know." she rubs her hand up and down her arm nervously, "Meagan might feel some type of way about it, do you want to put yourself out there for her to shut you down again?"

No, not really. 

"Sure." he feigns, "I mean, I want to be around so maybe this can be how we become familiar with one another," he suggests, scratching his bicep and realizing in that moment that maybe, just maybe, he's put on a tad bit too much weight for his liking.

She studies his face for a minute and sighs.

"Her doctor says she needs steamed vegetables and rice. I've got too much shit to catch up on to attempt to make it...do you think you can do it?" 

It's perfect, that's usually what he would make himself after a long day at the gym. (Which is definitely his next stop once he gets some free time under his belt).

"Of course." his voice is as sincere as he's ever heard it, "anything you need help with, cooking or even just helping, I'm here."

For the first time in what seems like fourteen years, he earns a tight-lipped smile from Amy and the minute she remembers herself, she blinks away and offers him a small smile and nod.

"Thanks, Dan. That's...that's very kind of you to do." 

It is, isn't _it?_

* * *

  _Chirs Blake breaks Social Media silence and pens a series emotional tributes to Amy Brookheimer, calling her 'The most beautiful woman in the world'_

Huffington Post.

_Men Cheat All The Time, But Why Do We Allow Them To Do It?_

Marie Claire

_Amy Brookheimer's daughter, Meagan Brookheimer posts post-surgery selfie to her Instagram; thanks her Mom and Family for helping her in an adorable post._

Seventeen Magazine

_A Timeline of Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake's Romance [Photo Gallery]_

GQ

_Blake-be-Gone? Amy Brookheimer photographed for the FIRST TIME since the news of Chris Blake's infidelity, walking in the parking lot of the Children's Hospital of DC looking glum as ever._

Daily Mail

_Should Amy Brookheimer resign as President Ryan's Chief of Staff? (Poll)_

Fox News

_Meet Jennifer Nealon Hart, the Playboy Bar waitress whose claiming that Chris Blake is the father of the 3-year old son, Eldrich._

ABC News

_ Parker Blake, sister of Chris Blake, responds to photographers asking her about Chris Blake's infidelity by claiming Amy Brookheimer is a "F****** B***** and should rot in hell" for what she's doing to her older brother [Video] _

TMZ

* * *

 The tension between Chris and Amy is so bad that they need a Secret Service agent at their house at all times even though Chris isn't staying at their house.

It’s all hilarious to Dan because if they knew Amy like he knew Amy, Chris would need more than a Secret Service agent to stop the train that is Amy’s anger once she gets going.

Throughout the week, he always manages to drop by her house and offer any help she may need with Meagan, considering the fact that she’s fallen under the weather with god knows what and it seems like Chris hasn’t exactly been welcomed with wide arms back to their house.

Then it all goes to shit the next Monday.

Here’s what happened. 

He gets to Amy’s house precisely at 6:19 pm, the same way he has for the whole day and the minute the door opens and reveals her assistant, Madelyn, he knows somethings up already.

“Dan.” she smiles flatly at him, “Now’s..now’s not really a great time.” she nervously looks over her shoulder as if she’s making sure a fire isn’t breaking out from the kitchen behind her. 

When is it ever a good time?

“I’m just here to drop off some food for Amy and Meagan. That’s it.” he holds up the bag of food from the Thai restaurant.

(Sure, his main job was basically their food-boy/cook but, he was fine with that position for now. _Anything_ was better than the dead-beat father role he had been playing for fourteen years).

For a second, Madelyn looks strangely conflicted, probably debating on whether or not she would lose her job over letting Dan into the house for whatever reason.

“I know. It’s just...Ms.Brookheimer isn’t in a great mood right now.” 

He snorts at that. He’s dealt with Selina fucking Meyer on her bad days, he’s fairly positive he can handle Amy when she’s gotten her thong all stuck in a wad because of whatever nonsense her boyfriend managed to pull.

“Well, can I at least say hi to Meagan?” he tries.

Fortunately for him, Madelyn just nods at that and she gestures towards the grand staircase at the left side of the house to him. 

As he enters the house, there’s a moment when it hits him how hot Madelyn actually is. 

Her fiery red hair is piled at the top of her head in a neat bun and she’s wearing a cute plum skirt with a lacy white top. If he didn’t know any better, he’d take his sweet and precious time and allow himself to charm the thong right off of her but, he figures it would be best not to do that.

“Where is she?” Dan turns to her for guidance from the staircase.

“In her room. She’s taking a nap right now.” Madelyn informs her and makes her way back to the kitchen.

He makes his way to the stairs, wondering what the sounds from Amy’s bedroom are. 

It sounds like she’s swearing at someone in particular and every now and then, there’s the sound of something hitting the floor and with that, a small thud is sent through the floors.

First, he cranes his neck into Meagan’s room to see the teenage girl peacefully asleep in her bed, her blonde hair pulled back into two pigtails and her television buzzing with silent voices. He takes a minute to marvel at just how...beautiful his kid is.

He had figured, a kid that’s half his and half Amy's was bound to be drop-dead gorgeous but, it’s crazy just how astonishing she is. Even when she’s sick with an impossibly high fever and now cough, she just might be the most stunning person he’s ever seen.

As he drops her food on the desk sequestered on the opposite side of the room, he returns to her bed and places an innocent kiss on the crown of her head.

When he’s content, he makes his way out of the room and saunters over to Amy’s and the shrill screams and swears only get louder.

_“He’s such a fucking asshole! That dumb motherfucker.”_

The voice stops him and he freezes outside of the door, and he pauses to listen to more of the conversation.

 _“You need to get him out of the house.”_ a voice that sounds eerily like Michelle’s encourages her, _“He shouldn’t be texting you this shit.”_

 _“Oh, I’ll get him out of my fucking house, alright ”_ Amy defiantly grits out and before he knows it, she’s storming out of the room with Michelle following.

From the look in her eyes, his inference is true and Amy looks like she’s ready to murder whoever steps into her line of sight and he’s not lying when he says it’s scary as fuck.

Before he knows it, he steps onto the staircase, blocking Amy and Michelle from walking down.

Amy reels back in her step and eyes him up and down angrily.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” she spits at him dangerously.

He looks into her blue, stormy eyes, searching for the pain so he can hopefully crush it with his bare hands.

“Trying to prevent you from going to jail.” his eyes remain on her, “Ames, what’s wrong?”

“A _slut._ He called me a fucking slut.” she attempts to storm past him but his hands fly to her shoulders before she can make a move, “..and a bitch, a cunt, a whore and all of this other shit.” 

Well fuck, he wasn’t expecting that.

“Where is he?” Dan’s eyes fly open in surprise.

“Downstairs.” Michelle informs him, “They got into an argument and security pulled them apart.” 

He nods at that and turns his attention back onto Amy.

“He called you this to your face?” Dan’s eyes study her intensely, searching for answers in her stoic face.

“Over text.” she cries out, “...I didn’t have my fucking phone and when I didn’t he texted me all of this shit about me being a slut and whore and all of this other shit.” she tries to stomp past Dan but he’s not having any of it. 

He doesn’t know what’s worse, the fact that Chris was a pussy and texted all of this to her or the fact that he was about to experience the true, uncut, unfiltered wrath of Amy in a matter of minutes.

“Listen to me, you cannot go down there.” Dan’s hands are stern on her shoulders, “You going down there will only make all of this worse, believe me.” 

 _“Bullshit._ ” Amy grits out, not meeting his eyes, “Let me go.” she demands.

“Ames, listen to m-”

“Let _me_ go,” she demands again, squirming in his arms much like a child who doesn’t want to be held.

“Ames.” he tries again, “Listen to me, listen to my voice.” 

Before he knows it, she ducks out of his grasp and flies down the stairs, not bothering to look back as her feet take her as fast as she can fucking go.

Usually, he’d be one for seeing Amy cut into Chris the way he so deserves for reasons other than her looking so fucking hot while doing it but now, he knows she needs to sit this one out. 

He knows Chris and he knows how this can end.

One wrong move on Amy’s part and he can call the cops on her, or worse, allege abuse just to get the fucking courts off of his back and he’s not sure Amy’s ready to be tried as a criminal in the federal court system.

He doesn’t waste time in waiting for her so, he practically sprints down the staircase to wrangle Amy back into his control for her safety.

When he gets downstairs, he seems Chris, all disheveled and exhausted sitting on the couch as Amy stands over him, pointing an accusing finger at him and damn near screaming at the top of her lungs like a mad-woman.

“You’re a fucking piece of shit and a loser and I hate your goddamn fucking guts.” she grits out at him.

“That’s classy.” Chris quips, “Dissing the man whose been raising your fucking kid for all these goddamn years.”

Amy’s eyes widen at him, “You called me a slut, whore, cheater, liar, bitch and all of that over the fucking phone because you’re too much of a pussy to say it to my face.” her face is red hot.

Knowing what to do, Dan places himself firmly in front of Amy, blocking Chris from her completely.

“Amy, don’t do this.” his voice is calm and smooth.

Chris chortles in laughter at that as he stands to his feet, “Let her fucking do it, let her make a fucking fool in front of her daughter since she doesn’t care about her.”

“I don’t care about her?” Amy’s eyes widen in disbelief as she tries to corner Dan but he puts his hands on her waist, keeping her back, “Take that back because you _know_ it’s not true.” she points a finger at him.

“All you do is use that kid as a fucking pawn against me and you fucking know it!” he shouts back at her as their assigned Secret Service agent finally intervenes, putting his stern hands on Chris’ shoulders.

“You’re such a _fucking_ liar.” she hurls her phone against him as Michelle approaches Amy from behind and tries to help Dan in wrangling her, “Take that back!”.

 _“Make me._ ” he challenges her shamelessly, not backing down despite the fact that he’s being held back by an overweight bald man that is at least 300 pounds, “Make me take it back you whore.”

Between Amy’s screaming and yelling at the top of her lungs, he barely sees it when she reaches behind her and slams a vase right at Chris and it shatters right at his feet. 

 _“Amy!”_ Dan’s had enough because she’s already done too much so far and any other slip-ups of anger can get her into some deep shit both publically and legally, “Ames, calm the _fuck_ down.” he shakes her.

“Amy, let’s go back upstairs.” Michelle tugs on her arm with a soft voice, “Let’s go upstairs.” 

Amy shakes her head defiantly and looks at Chris one more time as Dan wraps his arms around Amy as tightly as possible.

“If you think for one minute I’m letting you _anywhere_ near my kids, you’re dumber than I fucking thought!” she tries to kick at him but it comes off as more of a flail and Dan has to readjust his grip into something tighter. 

“Good luck trying to get them, you goddamn slut.” the agent forces Chris to the opposing side of the room, cornering him into the corner furthest away from them.

If he could, he’d let Michelle take control of Amy while he went over to Chris and let him have a good taste of his fucking fist because the way he’s speaking to Amy is absolutely terrible. 

Say what you want about Dan but he’d never openly disrespect a woman like that to her face, he had morals contrary to popular belief. 

But then it hit him at that moment, she didn’t say, kid, she said _kids._

As in more than one kid.

The mood swings, the cravings, the emotions...it all made sense now. 

Amy was pregnant.

He’s pissed off at her that she failed to mention that fact to him because it would’ve been nice to know but, he figures there are much more important things at hand than Amy forgetting to tell him something that serious.

“Get the _fuck_ out of my house,” she screams over Dan’s shoulder as he picks her up from the ground and tries his best to escort her out of the living room as her feet kick into the air defiantly. 

“Can you get him out of the house.” Michelle snaps her fingers at the agent as she follows Dan who all but carries Amy in the air, getting her the fuck out of there.

It’s difficult to actually carry Amy right back up the stairs because of the way she’s kicking the air and squirming against him but he somehow pulls it off, barricading her to the top of the staircase and looking her right in the eye.

“Dan, let me go back down there.” she all but demands, trying to push her way past him.

“No, Amy.” he’s now frustrated with her, “You think I’m gonna let you go back down there and let him get a rise out of you again? No fucking way, you’re staying up here before you get yourself into any more trouble.

“Why do you care?” she cries out defiantly, “He’s your fucking best friend.” she grits out, trying to crane herself around Dan’s body but he’s not having any of it. 

“He’s not, Amy.” he tilts her head so she’s looking at him, “He’s nothing to me and he should be nothing to you too.” 

The tears slide down her face defiantly as her chest heaves up and down with each passing moment she dares to take a deep breath.

“He’s threatening to take my kids, Dan.” her voice hits a high octave, “I can’t let him fucking do that.” she breaks into a fit of tears and almost slumps herself against Dan but he pushes her body right back up.

“And you’ll make it easier if you go down there and sock him in the fucking face, okay?” his eyes are wide now, “You cannot go down there and do what you want, I know it’s unfair but you just can’t, Ames. There’s too much at stake.” 

She shuts her eyes and the tears roll down her cheeks silently.

“He called me a _slut,_ Dan.” she protests and he’s had enough.

“To get a rise out of you.” he points at her, “He did that because he knew you’d go downstairs and react like that.”

She opens her mouth to speak but is cut off by Chris’ loud voice taking over the house.

“Fuck you, Amy.” he throws over his shoulder, “I can’t even leave the fucking house without you bringing someone else to fuck in.” 

She jumps to action but Dan’s there to hold her back and keep her against his body to prevent her from doing anything she’ll later regret.

“Fuck you!” she picks up an antique dish from the hall table seated near them and goes to throw it over Dan’s shoulder but with one swift move, he confiscates it from Amy’s reach and returns it back to the table.

“Amy, _stop,_ ” he whispers in her ear, “Listen to my voice and don’t do this, okay?” 

The door slams shut and Amy finally releases a shaky breath.

“Dan, you don’t get-”

“You want the kids right?” he whispers in her ear, trying to get her to focus.

She musters out a loud sob from her throat and nods.

“Then calm down and listen to me, okay?” he tightens his grip around her body.

She nods again.

“You cannot do this, okay?’ his voice warbles in emotion because he can’t stand to see Amy in pain, “You have to calm down.”

“Okay?”

 _“Okay._ ” she musters out, her voice small and meek.

“Now go to your room and lay down for a minute, okay?” he rubs her back, “I’ll check in on you in a minute.”

She takes a deep breath and nods, removing herself from Dan’s body when he loosens his grip and pads her way down the hall to her bedroom, slamming the door shut promptly after.

There are a few footsteps climbing up the stairs, It’s Michelle.

“Where is she?” 

Dan runs a hand through his hair, pointing towards the closed bedroom door.

“She needs a minute.”.

Michelle groans at that, looking around the mess of broken decor and furniture, not knowing what to do next, much like Dan who now sits on the top staircase, looking around him.

Then another door swings open and it’s Meagan who pads out of her bedroom, her eyes large with worry.

“Aunt Michelle? Is everything okay?” her voice trembles with emotions, her tears sliding down her face like Niagra Falls and leaving teardrops all over her green Penn sweatshirt.

Fuck. Meagan probably heard everything and that would not be good.

He looks up to Michelle who’s face falls in guilt as she quickly approaches the girl, her own personal worries thrown to the side to deal with the shaken teenage girl.

“What’s wrong? What did you hear?” Michelle questions her as she leans forward and wipes the tears from Meagan’s red, blotchy face.

“I heard screaming..and yelling.” her chest heaves up as the sobs take over her body and she falls into a feat of tears, “Is my Mom okay?” she can barely get through the sentence.

It’s one thing to see Amy cry but it’s another thing to see his own daughter cry and it rips him in half.

“It’s okay.” Michelle feigns, bringing the girl in for a hug and resting her chin on top of the girls head, “C’ mon let’s go into your room.” she suggests, turning them towards the girl’s bedroom.

The door closes shut softly and he’s left alone.

Part of him is pissed off that Megan didn’t seek him out for help but he ignores it because that’s not even the most important thing happening right now.

He feels as helpless as ever.

And it fucking sucks to feel that way.

* * *

  _BREAKING: Police called to the home of Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake to settle a 'Domestic dispute' between the two at 6:29 pm, no one was injured. Details to come._

NBC News

_"I heard glass breaking, people shouting at the top of their lungs and crying" A neighbor of Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake recount the scary incident that lead the police to visit their neighborhood in the evening._

National Enquirer

_ Chris Blake liked a series of tweets referring to his partner, Amy Brookheimer being a s***  hours before their alleged fight and here's why that's a problem. _

Salon

_UPDATE: With the help of Police and Secret Service officials, Chris Blake was escorted OUT of him and Amy Brookheimer's house minutes after their 'Domestic dispute'_

NBC News

_No, Amy Brookheimer hasn't said anything regarding the whole Chris Blake scandal and yes, she needs to man the fuck up and say something already._

ClevverNews

_Meagan Brookheimer suffers a panic attack following Chris Blake and Amy Brookheimer's fight._

Politico

_ It's been two weeks since the now infamous showdown between Brookheimer and Blake and the internet is STILL talking about it. _

Vox

_ "Michelle has been such a great friend to her during this process. Throughout Meagan's surgery at the hospital, Michelle was right there helping Amy with anything she needed." Amy Brookheimer's Mom, Christine Brookheimer's exclusive tell-all interview with us _

Life & Weekly

_Parker Blake came after Amy Brookheimer on Twitter (Yet again) only for Michelle York to drag her for filth and it was quite literally EVERYTHING._

Buzzfeed

_Meagan Brookheimer comments "You suck" on all of Chris Blake's Instagram photos, Unfollows him and that's why I love this child._

Cosmopolitan

_Why We All Could Use a Friend Like Michelle York._

The New Yorker

_ Chris Blake posted a series of shirtless work-out photos and Amy Brookheimer liked them (And can you blame her?) _

MTV News

_"She's moving on and has no intention of wanting to be with Chris after hearing this." a source close to Brookheimer shared EXCLUSIVELY with us._

Us Weekly

* * *

Part of being pregnant is her getting up every five minutes to pee and she hates it. 

She absolutely detests needing to go to the bathroom because her bed is really fucking comfortable and having to get out of it as often as she needs to handle her business is killing her.

She’s never been more jealous of hospital beds having built-in toilets.

And the worst part about all of this? 

She’s only entering her second-month now, which means she’s got seven more months of her wobbling as fast as her pregnant ass can take her to the fucking restroom because her kid has a knack of using her bladder as a trampoline.

Once she begins dozing off into a deep slumber that’s very much needed, she feels a strong arm drape itself over her waist and for a brief minute...she almost loses her goddamn mind.

But the touch is all too familiar for it to be a fucking stranger. She knows exactly who it is and she can’t tell that she’s surprised by it.

“What are you doing here?” she doesn’t bother turning around in his arms to give him the satisfaction of actually looking at him. 

She feels his broad chest as he releases a soft sigh, letting his arm stay firmly still around her waist.

“I’m here to apologize.” he tries.

_Bullshit._

“I don’t care.” she retorts, not giving him an inch if she can fucking help it.

“Ames...just, I’m sorry, okay?” he tries again, “I’ve been thinking about you, Meags, the baby.. _.us._ ”

“There is no _us.”_ her voice is thick with intensity, her bullshit detector vibrating to life inside of her abdomen.

“There _is_ an us, Amy.” he demands, “Whether you want to admit to it or not, I love you and the _kids_ and...you’re all I want.”

In retrospect, all of this sounds nice. Hell, had he performed this late-night song and dance to her ages ago, she would’ve eaten it all up and married him the next fucking day. 

But now?

She doesn’t know what to believe. 

The tape is real, the cheating allegations have a good potential of turning out to be real and she doesn’t even want to think about the whole physical abuse thing because when she does...she feels sick to her fucking stomach.

He’s never laid a finger on her or Meagan (and if he did, she’s positive she would’ve known by now) hell, he never let Meagan be in the same room as him when he got pissed off because he wanted to protect her from whatever raw feelings of anger he was dealing with.

Unfortunately for her, he’s absolutely correct.

She loves him, she adores him way more than she probably should and the fact that she had to deal with all of this because she loves him that much makes her sick. Why did loving someone so flawed have to be this hard?

“If you love me so much, why would you lie to me? All these years you played me like a fucking violin behind my back, only to turn around and lie straight to my face for five years. Why would you do that?”

“I was _protecting_ you.”

“Protecting me from what?” she demands, still not meeting his eye.

He carefully turns her body to the side so they’re looking at each other directly in the eyes for the first time in what seems like ages.

“I can’t tell you why.” he shamefully admits and it’s her turn to release a desperate sigh.

If there’s something significantly important she needs to be protected from, she’d very much so would like to know in the sheer purpose of mentally preparing herself for it. How could she prepare herself for a situation she knows nothing about.

“I’m not a fucking Disney princess, Chris.” she grits out at him, “I don’t _need_ you to fucking protect me.”.

“I know that.”

“If you know that then why the fuck are you doing it?” her body jolt upright, “I’ve gone forty years without you and I can make it forty more without you or anybody’s help.”.

“I know that-”

“Stop saying that.” she breaks into tears mid-sentence and chokes the rest of the sentence out, “Stop _lying_ to me.” 

“I’m not lying, Ames. I know you don’t need protecting or me or anybody. If anything, I need you.” 

She can’t help but laugh at that.

“You don’t need me, Chris, you never did.” 

Then it’s his turn to groan loudly.

“You’re everything to me, Amy. You and Meags are the reasons why I get up every day because the joy and happiness you two fill me with is..once in a lifetime. You push me, you love me, you argue with me and you challenge me. You’ve given me something I didn’t even know I needed.” his voice breaks in the middle.

She looks over at him as a tear silently rolls down his cheek.

“You don’t have to believe me, Amy. That’s fine, I don’t blame you.” he admits with his head hanging down, “But please, don’t give up on me...or on us.”

That’s her problem right there.

She doesn’t know if she wants to give up on him. 

Call her crazy but she’s in love with the bastard, more than she honestly should be and trying to separate herself from him is harder than she had expected.

When she had distanced herself from Dan all those years ago, it was the closest thing to a breakup she had dealt with in a while. 

Knowing that she would be giving birth to Dan Egan’s replica had angered her at times because why did it have to be his, especially since he didn’t give a rat’s ass about her or Meagan at the time. 

Then with Chris, it was a fucking challenge.

They were so fucking ingrained in one another’s lives that the process of even acknowledging the fact that they might not be together anymore was enough to make Amy break into a series of tears at any given moment. 

She couldn’t go on Social Media because she had to deal with every single news outlet posting photos of them in the good days; smiling at one another, laughing, sharing a quick peck on the cheek and much more.

Walking into the room was tough at first because they have all of their magazine covers lined in perfect sync, staring right back at Amy, reminding her of the good days when she didn’t know all of Chris’ secrets.

This is why she was always so keen on keeping her own life within a relationship. The day you break up, you’re left with nothing but the memories and life you and that person made together and nothing was worse than waking up and not knowing who you were anymore.

“I don’t want to give up on us.” she shamefully admits because she doesn’t want to, not a chance in hell.

There’s a moment of silence when she says that and he takes the time to reach out for her hand and stroke it softly, the move sending a warm glow of familiarity through her bloodstream.

“I don’t either.” his voice is slow, “I want you and Meags and this baby because it’s all I’ve ever wanted and I want it with you. No one else.” 

“You say that now but what happens when Mallory or one of your other bunnies offer you something better?” her voice is thick with bitterness and hurt as she avoids his eyes as best as possible.

“I’m getting a restraining order against them, I don’t want them anywhere near you and I because that phase of my life is over.” he reasons with a small voice, “All I want is you.”

When she turns to look at him, her heart slowly breaks.

If she could make it possible, none of this would’ve happened.

No alleged cheating, no alleged abuse and certainly no sex-tape. All it did was act as a plague and she hated it.

To be quite honest, a second kid was never in the cards for her. She didn’t know how she would handle it in the event that she did get pregnant and the baby-daddy abandoned her before she could express how much she wanted it. 

But now that she actually is pregnant the second time around, she knows what to avoid.

Until recently, Dan never showed any interest in her or Meagan’s well-being, if he could, he’s pretty sure he would’ve dragged her to the abortion clinic while she was asleep. 

She knew Chris would never do that. 

“Look, I love you probably more than I really should but, I need you to know something before you recommit to me. I’ve been hurt too many times to name and I’m not interested in letting it happen to me again. You of all people should know just how much shit I’ve gone through and have continued to go through to this fucking day. You should be proud to be with me, I’m a goddamn catch and I know that any man would be lucky to have me. Now if you’re sitting here and telling me you love me then that’s great but you have to fucking live up to that. You don’t say you love me one day only to turn around and call me a ‘slut’ the next time we fight, that _hurt_ me, Chris and you fucking know it.”

“I understand and I apologize for that, you didn’t deserve it.” 

She sighs to herself and runs a hand through her blonde hair, yawning to herself. 

“I didn’t and the fact that you went that far scares me, Chris.” she admits sadly, “You were so...angry that I didn’t know what you would’ve done had we been all alone. I didn’t like it.”

“I know, baby. I know.” his voice breaks in the middle, “It’ll never happen again, believe me. It won’t” his pleading is strong.

She musters out a nod, keeping a hand on the small pouch beginning to form on her body.

“I want you in the babies’ life, I really do.” she admits, “But I don’t want you here if you’re going to act like that.”

“I won’t.” he agrees quietly, “I promise, Ames.” he stretches a hand to cover hers as it rests on her stomach.

She wants to believe him.

She really does.

“You’re the love of my life.” he whispers in her ear and she feels goosebumps on her arms, “You’re the only thing I’ve ever wanted in life and I’m not afraid to admit that. I want you, Ames.”

Maybe that’s why she kisses him.

Because she’s scared of the future, she’s scared of the unknown and believe it or not, having Chris around helped her be not so scared of all of that.

She’s never had a man, besides Chris, to openly admit that he loves her and own up to any other faults he’s made in his life and that’s huge for her. 

“I want you too,” she admits against his lips in a silent whisper as they pull away.

He nods at that and pulls her body against his, letting her rest her head on his chest in the way she’s always loved to do and helps her fall asleep easiest. 

She sleeps like a baby for the rest of the night. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment and or kudos!
> 
> It's heavily appreciated and greatly encouraged!


	10. I Try

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For the past four years, Chris has pretty much been the only father-figure Meagan ever had. It's not like she had planned for it to be that way, to be quite honest, she was just anticipating for Chris to be a nice hookup for a few months, she never fucking anticipated for him to make such a strong relationship with Meagan. 
> 
> Amy was used to people leaving her all the time, it was tough but she learned how to get through it.
> 
> Now Meagan on the other hand?
> 
> She's never had to deal with that before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! The tenth chapter already! That's so fucking amazing, guys!
> 
> There are not enough words for me to thank every single one of you guys who have supported this story from the very beginning and do so with each and every update! I genuinely appreciate it and will forever be grateful for every single one of you!
> 
> Again, thank you all so much!
> 
> I appreciate you all so, so, so, so much!
> 
> Make sure to leave a comment letting me know what you thought of this chapter! I love hearing you guys' opinions on each chapter!
> 
> Without further ado, here's chapter ten of 'If I Never See Your Face Again'

> _I try to say goodbye and I choke_
> 
>   
>  _Try to walk away and I stumble_
> 
>   
>  _Though I try to hide it, it's clear_
> 
>   
>  _My world crumbles when you are not here_
> 
> _-'i try' by macy gray_

* * *

 

"You're pregnant?" Meagan leaps from her bed in protest, her jaw drops in shock as her eyes dart from both Chris and Amy immediately as they stare down at her as she rests in her bed once they're back home and they're all settled, "...and you guys leaked a sex-tape while I was in the hospital?" 

"No!" both Amy and Chris reply in unison and reel back when Meagan is taken aback by the sudden movement of the two adults in her bedroom.

"I mean...yes, I _am_ pregnant but, the tape doesn't have me in it." Amy tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear nervously, keeping her eyes on Meagan's frilly purple comforter and nervously running her hands along with the soft material of the duvet.

There's a moment of silence as Meagan turns to Chris, her mouth dropping in wide-eyed shock.

"You cheated on my Mom and made a sex tape to document it?!" her face is red-hot with anger.

"Meags-"

"That's disgusting, oh my fucking god!" Meagan jolts upright against her pillows, her hands flying to cover her face as she releases a muffled scream, the sound taking both Chris and Amy by surprise and practically makes Amy jump out of her own fucking skin.

She reaches her arm out to console her daughter and let her know that everything will be okay even though it feels like the fucking universe is caving in on them right about now and it fucking kills her to see her kid in such pain.

Leave it to the universe to plant their family in the midst of a public scandal the minute her kids' gallbladder decided to be a fucking goner.

"We understand that this is... _hard_ to hear but we wanted to be the ones to tell you this." Chris' voice is calm and sympathetic, the total opposite of Meagan's shaky voice as she cries out in confusion, her body shaking.

"If you _'understand'_ how hard it is this then why the fuck would you go out and do this?" Meagan roars at Chris, the tears streaming down her face, "God, this is so embarrassing." 

"It is." Amy agrees with her daughter because this entire situation truly is, "...and you have every right to feel that way, Honey. But, Chris didn't cheat on me."

Meagan rolls her eyes at her like she just made the most ridiculous claim in the world and for a second, Amy's genuinely doubting her feelings on this whole thing.

"He made a fucking sex-tape! And you still think he isn't cheating on you?" she narrows her eyes at Amy as if Chris isn't even in the fucking room, her voice hitting an all-time high, "and now you're pregnant, great timing you two." she stares at the two adults in a matter-of-fact way.

"Look, I know your upset and confused but screaming at us isn't going to solve anything, _believe_ me." Amy tries with a calm voice, "We're telling you this because we love you and we just want you prepared of what it might be like when you get back into the world."

"How considerate of you two." Meagan gives a fake-smile at that, "I can't wait to go back to school and be known as the girl with the Stepdad that has a sex tape that everyone has seen and a Mom whose unnecessarily pregnant." 

"I know you're upset but you need to calm down." Amy orders her, "You berating and insulting us when we're just trying to help you isn't helping. Now lose the attitude, Meagan, there's too much to fucking deal with for you to be acting like this."

"Jesus Christ, stop talking to me like I'm one of your goddamn clients, Mom, it's getting old."

 _"Excuse_ me?" 

"You keep telling me to _'calm down'_ and _'relax'_ like I'm losing a goddamn election when in fact, what I'm going through is a million times worse!"

"Now you're being fucking dramatic." Amy shakes her head, "You're not the only person in this family that's going through something."

"That's what you think!" Meagan challenges her, "For the past few days, I've been throwing up half my weight, I had surgery because my goddamn gallbladder exploded only to find out that during all of that, Chris was fucking cheating on you, you were pregnant and my fucking deadbeat father came by and made me fucking dinner! So excuse me if I consider that going through fucking something." 

_Fuck._

Chris had a meeting with his PR team the minute they dropped Amy and Meagan back off at the house and while he was gone, Dan had come by and made Meagan a meal, something they had discussed when Amy went by his apartment earlier today.

It's not like Dan and Meagan had a whole fucking conversation, if anything, Dan quickly made the food and left the moment it was finished, leaving Amy to deliver the food to Meagan who was in her bed.

"Wait, Dan was here?" Chris breaks the silence, his voice demanding.

_Fuck._

Out of the side of her eye, he sees Chris turning towards her accusingly, his eyes lasering a hole right in her fucking skull and she gets goosebumps at the feeling.

"Please tell me that man didn't come into this fucking house." his voice is slow and calm while the message is anything but that.

She looks up at Meagan whose eyes widen at the sight of Chris getting angry and she notices the teenage girl practically shrinking under her covers, her lip quivering in fear.

 _"Chris."_ her voice is slow, "...Chris, calm do-"

He exits the room quickly, practically making the floors shake with his fast and heavy steps which leave Meagan under her covers scared shitless and from the look Chris got on his face, she doesn't fucking blame her. 

"You and I will talk later." Amy points at Meagan as she quickly exits the room and makes her way into the hallway.

She closes the door behind her, making her way down the staircase as fast as she possibly can because at this point, she knows she has a good twenty seconds to locate and calm Chris down before he turns the fucking house into a goddamn war zone.

There's a loud slam against the floor coming from Chris' office near the garage and that's where she goes.

When she gets to the office, she's met with all kinds of shit flying across the room and landing on the floor like it's a piece of trash (when it is in fact, anything but that).

"What the hell are you doing?" she ducks from a stapler that's close to hitting her and smashes against the wall near her.

He pauses to walk over and slams the door shut forcefully.

"Why the fuck was Dan here, huh? Let's start with that." he folds his arms over his chest.

She feels a breath get stuck in her throat as she looks up at Chris and he angrily stares down at her, his nostrils flaring.

"He wanted to help with Meagan." her voice is careful.

"Oh? Am I not fucking enough? Do I not take fucking care of that kid like she's my fucking own?"

"I'm not saying you don't." she protests, "He just came by and made her fucking vegetables, that's it!" 

"Bullshit." he pushes past her and returns to his desk, slamming his fist against the glass desk forcefully and it almost makes Amy leap in surprise from the noise alone, "You invite him here to hook up with you, is that what it is?" 

" _No!"_ she protests forcefully, "Why would I even do something like that? Please, just sit down and talk to me, _please."_ the tears stream down her face and before she knows it, she's full-on sobbing.

"Talk to you?" he looks at her up and down, "You want me to fucking talk to you?"

 _"Yes."_ she reaches her hand out for him, her body shaking in fear of being rejected, "Just please, calm down." she practically begs.

There's a moment when he chews the inside of his cheek, avoiding her stare altogether and it kills her inside.

His eyes fall on her stomach and he points at it accusingly, "Is that even my fucking kid?"

She's so offended and affronted that it's quite concerning.

"Of course it's your _fucking_ kid," she grits at him, "Why would you even ask me that?"

He tosses a photo of them over his shoulder, letting it fall on the ground and the glass frame shattering everywhere.

"Just making sure," he grumbles at her, dumping himself in his office chair and releasing a dramatic exhale.

"Well that was fucking irrelevant." she snarls at him, "I'm not the one with a fucking sex-tape and cheating allegations." 

And that's what gets him out of the seat and shouting at her like she's the one in the wrong when really, it's fucking him. Before she knows it, she screams in returns and the next minute they're having a full-blown argument where they're screaming obscenities at the top of their goddamn lungs.

Maybe it's the hormones or the fucking adrenaline that gets her going but, she doesn't waste any time in locating one of Chris' golf balls and throwing it at the wall directly behind Chris.

"Why would you fucking do that?".

"You did it to me!" she insists strongly.

Then they're having yet another fucking screaming match and for the life of her, she simply cannot place what it is they're arguing about this time.

Then Meagan runs in.

"Stop arguing!" she roars at them, "Please, stop arguing!" 

The two fall silent as they keep their eyes everywhere but on each other, their chests rising up and down with each strained breath they force themselves to take.

"I know you guys are mad but, this isn't you guys." Meagan's soft voice breaks in the middle as the tears stream down her face, "Please, for the sake of me and this baby, please just sit down and talk it out or something, _please."_

Chris blows the air out of his cheeks, his jaw locking in anger as he turns around and locates a set of car keys.

"I'm done."

Her heart fucking shatters at that.

"Chris, stop."

"No, I'm fucking done." 

He breezes past her as he exits the room defiantly, not looking back and the minute she sees Meagan's face, the shatters of her heart fucking break, even more, she didn't even know it was possible.

"Chris!" Meagan waste no time in chasing after Chris, following his footsteps, "Chris, please come back." 

"I'm not fucking doing this anymore." she hears him roar out from the other side of the wall.

Meagan's voice pleads loudly as she begs him to not go and to just stay home with them and she goes on and on about how sorry she is for the way she acted not even a few minutes ago up in her bedroom.

When she hears the door slam shut and feels the vibrations run through her walls, it's like the whole fucking world pauses. It's like she's stuck in that moment and all she can hear is the door slamming shut over and over again.

But it's Meagan's intense cries that snap her the fuck out of it.

She rushes to the main corridor and that's when she sees her.

Meagan's coddled into the fetal position right in front of the door with her body shaking and tears streaming down her face.

For the past four years, Chris has pretty much been the only father-figure Meagan ever had. It's not like she had planned for it to be that way, to be quite honest, she was just anticipating for Chris to be a nice hookup for a few months, she never fucking anticipated for him to make such a strong relationship with Meagan. 

Amy was used to people leaving her all the time, it was tough but she learned how to get through it.

Now Meagan on the other hand?

She's never had to deal with that before.

"Meagan, baby, c' mon get up." she bends down and tries to heave the sobbing girl off the floor.

 _"No."_ she cries out, "Why would he leave me?" 

"I don't know, baby. I really don't." she reaches her arm out to rub her back sympathetically but Meagan rolls away from her, shielding her tomato-red face away from Amy's eyes, "But you need to get up."

"I don't _want_ to." her voice is muffled and highly emotional, "I want Chris to come back."

Is it bad that she wants him back too?

* * *

 “You’re wearing that today?” Chris's eyes widen at her as he peeks his head in her closet, his eyes falling on her skin.

She turns away from the full-length mirror, letting her arms fall flat against the side of her body, an irritated sigh coming from her throat.

“Is there a problem with that?” she questions him because she’d genuinely like to see him try and tell her what to do when she’s in no mood to deal with his shit.

He rolls his eyes at that.

“It’s skin-tight.” 

“Yeah, I know.”

“And you think it’s wise for you to wear that?”

She snorts at that, “I don’t see why not.” 

“Well I mean, you’re pregnant and all...don’t you want to wear something a bit more.. _.comfortable?” _

“I am comfortable, asshole.” she grits out at him, not in the mood to defend her fucking outfit to her partner whose been acting like a Grade-A dick lately, “Now make yourself useful and zip up my dress.” she turns her back to him.

“Only if you ask nic-”

“Zip up the fucking dress before I reach down your goddamn throat and snatch your fucking dick out from the inside.” 

Needless to say, he quickly saunters over and helps her with the zipper of her dress.

It’s not like she picked anything raunchy by any means.

It was just a basic black bodycon dress that stopped right below her knee and only showed a tad bit of cleavage thanks to the triangle cut-out set right in the middle of her chest.

Chris runs his hands down her side, grasping the material of her dress and taking the time to trail his lips on her neck.

Even though she admitted to him that she wants them and their relationship to work doesn’t mean she’s completely forgiven him. If anything, she’s confused by what they exactly are right about now.

She was two-months pregnant with their kid and felt like she couldn’t trust him anymore. 

Maybe later, when she can fully trust him again this move will seem amazing and totally normal but for now, she doesn’t want it. 

She doesn’t waste time in shrugging away from him, sending him stumbling backwards.

“Babe, don’t be that way.” he reaches out to her but she gives him the cold shoulder, turning her attention down to her shoe rack; trying to decipher what shoes to wear for the day.

“God, can you just shut up already? Be happy I let your ass back in this house.” she bends down to grab her pair of Steve Madden heels but she’s interrupted by Chris’s jaw drops in surprise.

“Excuse me?”

“Just because I let you back in doesn’t mean I forgive you, Chris.” she looks at him in irritation, “I still don’t trust you.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“You called me a ‘slut’ in front of my daughter, sorry if I’m not on my goddamn knees sucking you off.”

He chortles at her, rolling his eyes, “Then why the fuck did you let me back in if you’re so pissed at me?”

“I don’t fucking know, okay? But the way you’re fucking acting isn’t helping me find a goddamn reason any sooner.” she frowns at her pair of silver heels; not sure if she wants to stalk around in heels all day.

“Take this as a fucking reason.” he throws a long, rectangular Tiffany’s box in her lap.

She snorts, disposing the item to the side without a second thought.

“What are you doing?” his voice is fierce and demanding.

“Picking out an outfit for work. Some of us have to work around here, Chris.”

“Yeah, well, I  _ got  _ you something.” 

She shrugs, unimpressed, “I don’t want it.”

“You don’t want it?” his voice raises in offense, “I didn’t spend $1500 for you to not fucking want it”

“Well next time, don’t call me a fucking slut and you won’t have to buy overly-expensive jewelry to make me forgive you.” she plucks out her pair of Calvin Klein purple flats.

“God, I said I was sorry already. Doesn’t that mean anything?”

“No, not really.” she settles on the purple flats, undoing the zipper to slide her feet into them, “Now will you please, just go check on Meagan and make sure she’s not dying or anything.”

“She’s asleep.” Chris rolls his eyes at her like it’s obvious, “Now will you please just do us both a favor and put on the goddamn bracelet. It’s for you.” 

“I’m _not_ asleep because the two of you won’t stop arguing.” Meagan appears in the hallway, her hair a disheveled mess on top of her head.

They both go silent at that as Amy takes a seat on the daybed that sits in the middle of her closet and she slides her feet into her shoes, tousling her hair with her hands.

“Well, we’re sorry.” Chris apologizes, “We didn’t know we were being that loud.”

The girl rolls her eyes and gives an unimpressed groan, “Whatever.” 

She exits the room without hesitation, leaving the two of them alone yet again.

There’s a moment when her eyes fall on Chris and she notices him throwing his head back against the wall softly, his Adam’s Apple bobbing and for a minute she finds herself staring at him just too much.

Why the fuck did he have to be such an attractive fucking asshole? She genuinely didn’t fucking understand it.

“I don’t want to put the bracelet on.” Amy’s voice is small and meek.

Chris groans at that, “You don’t have to put the fucking bracelet on...just get ready for work and I’ll handle Meagan for the day.” 

“Fine” Amy mutters out as she continues pulling herself together for the day.

Then the doorbell rings.

The air in the room goes silent and the tension is so palpable that Amy excuses herself from the closet and ventures the trek down the fucking stairs to go see whose ringing their doorbell.

When she gets to the door, she doesn’t even bother with gussying up her appearance even further because at this point she’s fuckin exhausted and the only thing she wants to is to go to work and handle any Jonah crisis compared to her own.

She twists the door open and feels her smile fade almost instantly.

It’s fucking Parker.

Parker, as in Chris’ bitch of a younger sister who had been calling Amy every single explicit nickname under the sun over her fucking brother being a fucking dick.

“Hello, Amy.” Parker gives a tight-lipped smile, her brunette locks straightened to perfection and a vintage lilac Chanel pantsuit.

 _“Parker.”_ she eyes the woman up and down suspiciously, “What are you doing here?”

Parker removes her sunglasses and throws her hair over her shoulder, eyeing Amy up and down in return.

“I’m here because my brother needs me.” she bats her eyelashes.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Before Amy can protest, Parker steps into the house and looks around the expansive opening of the house and she looks up at the staircase demandingly.

“Christopher! Get your ass down here.” Amy doesn’t waste any time in demanding for Chris to be down here and control his fucking sister. 

The sad thing is that she’s actually always enjoyed Parker and her company. When she and Chris first started dating, Parker was always warm and sympathetic with her, always offering to watch Meagan whenever she was in town and they had even gone out for drinks a few times.

But now, all of that was non-existent to her. Parker has been running all over the fucking place telling people that she’s a cunt, a bitch and that she’s physically abusive to Meagan-none of which is true by any means.

“What the fuck is the problem no-wait, _ Parker?” _

Parker gives an earnest nod as she approaches Chris at the bottom of the staircase and she brings him in for a stern hug.

“What.. _.what  _ are you doing here?” his eyes dart from Amy to Parker in confusion who both stare up at him with different expressions-Amy’s face of fury and Parker’s face of determination.

Parker slowly makes her way towards the living room area towards the middle of the house and they watch as she drops her purse on the coffee table and removing her lilac suit jacket, dropping it on their pearl white couch.

“Your crisis has made it worldwide.” Parker takes a seat on the couch, “Mom was going to fly out here but I figured it would be best to come myself and help you both during this...troubling time.”

“Thanks but we don’t need any help.” Amy chimes in.

“Well, when my brother calls me on the phone and tells me that he needs help, I drop everything to come help.” 

“Thanks, Parker.” Chris gives a small smile and Amy’s inner boiling point of anger boils to life once again for probably the tenth time this morning.

“I spoke to your management about you making your debut into the public to officially put all of these crazy rumors to rest.” Parker pulls out her tablet and scrolls through it with her index finger.

“Debut? What is he a fuckin debutante or some shit?” Amy doesn’t hold back on the intense tone she’s giving Parker.

“He’s a public figure who is caught up in a very public scandal that wasn’t his fault, if anything, I’d expect for you to know this more than anybody.” Parker gives her a small shrug.

“Had your brother kept his cock in his fucking pants then none of us would be here right now.”

“Amy, for the millionth time, I did not fucking cheat on you.” Chris gives a dramatic groan.

_ “She’s  _ not important.” Parker shakes her head in annoyance, “What’s important though is that you go out there admit a small wrong and proclaim your love for her.”

“Parker, be nice,” Chris warns her after getting the wrath of Amy’s stare down.

Parker gives a fake smile to Amy and rolls her eyes as she continues scrolling on her IPad.

“I have you booked for Kimmel, Conan, Hart, Webster, and Escaline throughout the week, Conan will be last and that will be the interview where you talk about Amy’s pregnancy a bit more.”

Wait, what? “I’m sorry?” Amy has to rehearse the last part of that sentence, “And you know this how?” 

“Chris told me.” she gives a proud smile, running a hand through her hair.

She turns to Chris with her eyes widening at him and it takes everything in her to not go the fuck off on him and give Parker an actual reason to call her a ‘bitch’ yet again.

“Now all of this is taking place this week which means we need a pregnancy announcement on both of your Instagrams immediately.” she looks up at the two of them, “We don’t have time for a photoshoot, a photo of your sonogram will work.”

“What I don’t have time for is you pushing and prodding yourself into my house with this wack-ass press plan you came up with to get everything off of you brother’s fucking dick.” she folds her arms over her chest, “Instead of calling me every non-intelligent, inappropriate nickname under the sun, maybe you should fucking wake up, smell the roses and realize what the fuck your goddamn brother did to me versus grasping at the goddamn air and looking for reasons to throw me under the bus for  _ his _ fucking mistakes.” 

She’s so amped up and angry that she doesn’t even notice that Chris has intercepted his way so he’s directly in front of Amy, acting as a wall between both she and Parker who simply sits on the couch.

“I figured you’d be pissed.” Parker collects her items, “That’s why I got you two the nicest suite in New York City, on me, so you can hopefully relax and just put all of this to bed”

“That’s so nice.”

“Why?” 

Parker gives a soft chuckle, “While you two are gone, I can watch Meagan. I figured it’s perfect timing since it’s been a while since we’ve had an Aunt Parker day.”

Amy can’t hold back the laughter at that one.

Was she smoking crack?

The only way Meagan would ever spend time with Parker would be over her dead fucking body which is something Amy wasn’t planning on happening for a long fucking time.

“She’s not staying with you.” Amy chortles at her, “You don’t get to fucking insult me, come to  _ my  _ fucking house, tell me what to do then turn around and try to play house with my fucking kids. You can do that shit to anybody else but you will not fucking do that to me.” 

_ “Ames.” _ Chris reaches out to touch her but she swats his hand away instantly, not even bothering to give him a look as she does it.

“Well, she’ll need someone to watch her. The two of you will be far too busy considering the fact that the President has to travel to New York tomorrow.”

Fuck, that’s why she planned another godforsaken press day in New York, she knew their schedule.

The only way she would know their schedule would be from Chris fucking telling her everything. 

From the look of guilt rising on Chris’ face as he does his absolute best to avoid Amy’s eyesight is all she needs to know that’s exactly what he fucking did.

“Then who will she stay with? You’ll be too busy and pregnant to function, Chris had booked commitments and according to your Mother’s Instagram-she’s on a Disney Cruise with Sophie’s kids.”

Fuck, she’s got a fucking point.

“Her Dad will watch her.” the words leave her mouth before she can fucking help it.

Parker’s eyes flash up to Chris for help as a look of confusion flashes on her face.

“I don’t know if you were listening to me before you swore at me like a fucking Tennesse truck-driver who got his cock stuck in an underage hooker but, Chris will be busy. He won’t have any time to watch Meagan.”

“Not Chris.” Amy’s voice is thick with a challenging tone, “Her  _ biological _ father, he’ll be more than happy to watch her and spend time with her.”

The room goes quiet at that and from behind she can practically feel the heat wafting off of Chris' body and she takes a small step away from him so she’s not in his tunnel vision of any anger that erupts within the next few minutes.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” he turns his body inward, addressing her head-on.

Not backing down, she puts her hands on her hips and gives him a lookup and down.

_ “No.” _ she blinks at him impatiently, “Dan will watch her for a few days while we handle our business, end of discussion.”

Chris opens his mouth to protest but she turns on her heel and makes a break for the conversation because, for the life of her, she will lose what’s left of her fucking mind if she has to keep listening to these two egotistical fucks trying to take control of her life.

“Parker, you can show yourself out and don’t be afraid to take Chris with you.” she throws over her shoulder, making her way into the kitchen and finding herself a glass to pour some water into.

After a few minutes, she hears the door slam shut and Chris’ heavy footsteps approaching the kitchen.

Is it bad that she can already hear the fight they’re due to have any second right now in her head?

“What the  _ fuck _ was that?” He steps into the kitchen, his hands on his hips and his eyes boring into her demandingly.

“What was what?”

_ “That.”  _ he points in the direction of their front door, “You and that fucking attitude of yours is about to get my goddamn Mother to fly out here.”

“Let her.” Amy takes a sip of her water, “Let your Mom come out here and realize just how big of a dick you’re acting like right now.”

Chris snorts at that, running a hand up and down his bicep.

“Babe, she’s just trying to fucking help. Can’t you just accept that and move the fuck on?” 

“No!” she insists strongly.

“Oh so you’re gonna have Dan watch Meags after abandoning her for fourteen years without hesitation versus sending her with Parker.” 

“Dan didn’t call me a cunt.” she takes another sip of her water, “...besides, Dan is dedicated to helping out with Meagan. He wants to be around more and I’ll take him up on that offer.”

She’ll always have the thoughts of Dan abandoning her and Meagan yet again at the back of her brain, eating away at her sanity but now, she has about 10% more confidence in him than she ever had before in terms of him helping Meagan.

Obviously, they’ll never get together romantically and quite frankly, Amy’s fine with that. What they had ended ages ago and Amy’s never looked back but, if Dan for whatever reason is willing to step up for the first time fourteen years and be a consistent figure in Meagan’s life, she won’t stop him.

“You’re fucking ridiculous.” Chris rolls his eyes at her, throwing his hands in the air in defeat, “You’ve spent all these years bitching and complaining about how much of a deadbeat he is and the minute he shoves his tongue down your throat you lose your fucking sanity.”

“Why are you so jealous over a petty little kiss? It’s not like he fucked me or anything.”

“Just because he didn’t doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to. Especially with you walking around in fucking outfits like that.” he points at her dress with a heavy gruff.

God, not this shit again.

“God forbid I wear a nice fucking dress to feel good about myself!” she throws her hands in the air exasperated, “Get off my dick already, you’re pissing me off too much today.”

She pushes past him, making her way up the stairs because she’s so fucking done with all of this unnecessary stress that comes from just talking to Chris.

Her safest bet is to just go to work, put out more fires for the day and eventually call Dan and try to persuade him into watching Meagan for the next few days.

It’s sad how desperate she is at this point.

* * *

 

The minute Amy gets free time, she ducks into her office, away from the crowd of employees and dials Dan's number.

Lucky for her, he hasn't changed his number and it's still the same Dan when he answers and lord knows Amy needed something familiar to bring her back down to earth for the first time in weeks.

"Hello?"

"Dan? Hey..it's me." she locks the door behind her, taking the time to pace around her office nervously.

"Oh." his voice sounds thick with exhaustion and surprise, "I didn't know you'd cal-"

"Is this a bad time? I can always....text you if now's not the best time."

"You're fine...I was just...surprised." he admits, "That's all."

It's so awkward she fucking can't stand it.

The two of them always had ease when talking to one another. Sure, she wanted to knock his head clean off with the nearest shotgun she could get her hands on about 85% of the time but she can admit to the fact that he's not exactly terrible to have a conversation with, at times.

Now that they have a kid and a good fourteen years of silence between the two of them, it couldn't help but be awkward. It was like the first week of school; going through the syllabus, doing dumb-ass icebreakers and just wishing and hoping for the day that you actually cut the bullshit and do what you're there to do. 

That's what talking to Dan is like now. 

And she can't fucking stand it.

"Is there something you wanted to talk about?" he offers.

She takes a deep breath and looks outside of her large window overlooking DC, the foggy skies of the cold Spring afternoon settling in with yet another foggy drizzle.

"I need you to do something for me and it may seem really random but, I really need you to do this one thing for me."

There's silence on the other side of the line.

"What? You need me to bury a body or something?"

She can't help but laugh softly at that because, for some strange reason, it doesn't seem far off that she would contact a sociopath like Dan in the event of her needing to dispose of a dead body.

It just seemed right for some weird reason.

"No, not that." she takes a seat in her office chair, turning it so she can look out of the window, "Chris and I are going out of a town for a few days and we need someone to watch Meagan for a-"

"Uh, Ames."

"Of course you don't want to fucking do it." she huffs out in irritation at herself. 

How could she be so fucking stupid? Until recently, Dan only took notice of Meagan a few weeks ago and while it was nice for him to do so, it didn't mean that he was exactly ready to take on the responsibility of parenting.

"No, it's not that...it's just...does Meagan feel comfortable doing that? She doesn't even speak to me when I am at the house and making her dinner."

She already knows that Meagan will have a fucking attitude about everything. Since Amy was doing this to protect Meagan from the satan-like personality of Chris' sister, Amy didn't give a shit about whether Meagan enjoyed this plan or not.

"She just doesn't know you." she shrugs semi-truthfully, "Maybe this will help you two get to know each other better." she suggests as she rubs her hand up and down her arm, "I just need to keep her away from Chris and his sister for the next few days and since I'm so busy, I can't do it."

If she could, she'd just lock Meagan in the house with all of the food and drinks in the world just to keep her away from all of this madness because if it's getting to the point where Amy, a grown woman, is spending a majority of her nights crying over everything, she can only imagine just how emotional Meagan is over the whole ordeal.

"Wait, his sister? What is she in town or something?" 

Amy sighs to herself, replaying the events of Parker showing up at her house this morning with a fucking planner of scheduled events to basically make Chris look good and that he'd never hurt or fuck a fly while Amy just posed for dumbass pictures for Chris to post on his social media accounts.

"She's in town alright." Amy groans to herself, "..I've never wanted to punch a woman more." she groans which prompts Dan to laugh softly.

"What, is she worse than Sophie?"

"She's like Sophie and fucking Selina Meyer combined." she shakes her head, "She told me that I'm not _'important'_ in my own damn home." 

"Sister's are bitches. You of all people should know that."

"You're sister seemed nice though or well, as nice as you Egans could possibly be. Part of me was waiting for her to call me a 'fat-ass' or some shit."

Dan chuckles harmoniously at that, "Fran isn't like that. She has the decency to deal with shit like an adult believe it or not."

Amy nods at that, her eyes falling on a framed photo of Meagan's third-grade yearbook photo.

In the picture, she has her signature sandy blonde hair in delicate waves and a purple bow sitting perfectly behind her head, pulling some of her hair out of her face and a pair of denim overalls.

She had never noticed it before but, Meagan does slightly favor Dan's sister a bit. There was no doubt that she looked exactly like Dan often-the strong chin, perfect eyebrows, and defined cheekbones.

"Do you think you can do it?" Amy tries again, "If you can't, it's fine but if you can...you'd help me a lot, like a fucking lot, Dan."

"Yeah...yeah, I can. I can do it." he gives a small sigh, "Do you need me to do anything now at least? I mean, I can pick her up from school or something."

"She's not at school. She's back home with Chris."

There's a moment of silence at that and she doesn't fucking blame him for it.

Lately, Chris was acting like a major douche. He was always on edge, walking around and screaming at people like an idiot, always ready to fight, and constantly ready to pick an unnecessary fight with her. 

She never had a problem with dating a man that had a hard-on for getting into arguments with her but, she does have a problem with dating somebody who acts like a fucking institution patient when shit doesn't go his way, it's fucking ridiculous.

That wasn't the Chris she fell in love with four years ago and it's certainly not the Chris she's excited to raise a baby with in a few months.

"So how do you want this to work? You want to drop her off at my place or I come to y-"

"You can come to my house, it'll be easier." Amy interrupts him, "I also need to talk to her before you show up to soften her up a bit."

Dan musters out a sound of agreement on the other side and she tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear nervously.

"That's.....intimidating," Dan admits with a small laugh and Amy can't help but join him in for a quick second.

"You'll see." she smiles to herself knowingly, "She's your kid so she's a smart-ass with a devious smirk."

For a moment, it feels like they're transported back to 2014, them kicking all kinds of political ass, working side-by-side and taking over the world one strategy at a time, the way she had always imagined them to do.

But now, instead of talking politics (Like she should be doing right now), they're talking about their kid. 

Fuck, how times have changed. 

Her assistant forwards her a message pertaining to an emergency meeting she needs to tend to in Jonah's office and she has to shoo him off the phone to return to business.

When she hangs up, she looks into her mirror and sees a smile forming on her lips and she genuinely doesn't understand why she's smiling like a goddamn idiot.

She doesn't smile for Dan.

She let that shit go ages ago and had to keep it that way.

* * *

 

_ Surprise! Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake are expecting their first child together. Check out the sweet announcement Chris posted to his Instagram! _

People Magazine

_ Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake are reportedly trying to make their relationship work for the sake of their kids. _

Yahoo News

_ UPDATE: AMY BROOKHEIMER HAS RE-FOLLOWED CHRIS BLAKE ON ALL SOCIAL MEDIA SITES FOLLOWING THEIR PREGNANCY ANNOUNCEMENT AND YES, I'M CRYING TEARS OF JOY. _

Buzzfeed

_ Take a look at the $1500 Tiffany's bracelet Chris Blake got for Amy Brookheimer as a Pregnancy gift (Spoiler: It's BEAUTIFUL) _

Cosmopolitan

_ Amy Brookheimer returns to White House today despite Pregnancy news. _

ABC News

_"They're going to make great parents." Parker Blake gushes over the news of her brother, Chris Blake and Amy Brookheimer expecting their first child together on Twiter._

The New York Times

_SPOTTED: Amy Brookheimer wearing a black Dior body-con dress with Steve Madden flats. Shop her look NOW!_

The Style Files

_ "Amy and Chris are overjoyed at the news of Amy's pregnancy, they simply cannot wait to start this new chapter of their lives together." A source close to Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake speaks out about the couple following the news of their pregnancy. _

Politico

_ "I love you to the moon and back, baby." Chris Blake posts a series of awww-worthy photos and videos to Instagram, proving once and for all that he's head over heels, madly in love with Amy Brookheimer. _

E-News

* * *

 

“Where’d you say your Mom was?” Dan turns to Meagan after she closes the front door shut."

Meagan yawns and checks her phone, “She’s probably asleep still, I know she hasn’t been feeling well today.”

He closes the door shut behind them and hands the blonde girl her overnight bag as he scopes out the interior of the large house.

Every time he entered Amy’s house, he was always...surprised by how fashionable and well-decorated it is. He had never pegged Amy as one with a burgeoning ‘designer’s eye’ because she never gave a shit about materialistic things.

With the outside of the house being covered in a slick matte black and white paint and the inside interior walls being lined with soft pastel colors, it oddly looked like the inside of an overly-expensive Chanel purse.

Considering the fact that this was the home of a woman who shamelessly ate hummus with a pen cap, he doesn’t hesitate in acknowledging just how far she had come.

“Alright you, what do you want for dinner?” Dan follows the girl up the main staircase, trailing after her as she basically slugs her way up the railing.

“Bacon Cheeseburger and French Fries.” 

“No.”

She turns around to frown at him dramatically, taking the time to really purse out her lip at him with an overly-exhausted groan.

_ “Please?” _ her chocolate brown eyes go wide at him, “I won’t even eat the whole thing.” 

“That’s the problem.” he shuts her down, “You can get a turkey breast sandwich with salt and vinegar chips.” 

A wail of protest escapes her lips as she stops on the top staircase, “That’s so  _ boring  _ though.” she complains, “Can I at least get fries with it on the side?” 

“Nope. Doctor’s orders, kiddo.” he pokes her nose as he passes her on the top step and makes his way down to Amy’s bedroom, “Get your stuff together, though, we should be leaving soon”.

He waits until Meagan treks down the hall and slams the door shut behind her to make his way into Amy’s room, knowingly locking the double doors behind himself for privacy.

“Ames?” he calls out after noticing her bed is empty and she’s not in her or Chris’ expansive closet. 

As he walks around, he takes the time to notice the hanging photos on the wall and it doesn’t even seem like he’s in Amy’s room. 

If anything, it seemed more like it would be Chris’ taste.

The sleek navy blue walls, the decor ranging from minuscule to large, the glass tables and dressers and the magazine covers adorning the walls and staring back at Dan like he’s an intruder of some sort.

His feet stop in front of a framed photo of Amy’s magazine cover for The Atlantic and it hits him like a fucking baseball.

In the picture, Amy’s blonde hair is in a sleep updo with her glasses resting perfectly on the tip of her nose with a dazzling smirk playing into the camera.

Even though the photo is so obviously staged, all he sees is her. He doesn’t see her being uncomfortable or awkward, he sees a confident, fierce and sexy badass who knows who the fuck she is and it’s hot as all hell.

The Amy he’ll always know and love is the one who swore at him up and down and proceeding to tell him to ‘Go fuck himself’ and not giving a damn what she looks like. 

He doesn’t hate this new version of Amy if anything, he’s really digging it.

In the distance of the room, he hears the shower running and notices a stream of smoke trailing from the bathroom and lingering into the master bedroom and Dan’s eyebrows perk up in surprise.

_ “Ames?”  _ he tries again, undoing his shoes and discarding them on the side of the room as he drops his flannel on the bed, making his way towards the bathroom.

From the outside looking in, the bathroom looks harmless. There’s a cloud of steam covering the large window and the marble shower that might be the nicest shower he’s ever seen is filled with smoke and he sees her naked silhouette through the glass.

When he squints his eyes, he can make out Amy’s body leaning against the tile and a hand down.. _.there. _

When he focuses his listening on the sounds unraveling underneath the water, he can make out a series of Amy’s small moans and whimpers as she goes to work on herself without a care in the world.

It’s enough to make him twitch in his pants.

For a moment, he debates on knocking again to make his presence known to her but, he’s pretty sure that she’s completely exhausted from her run-in with Chris a few days again so, he decides to do what’s best and just walk away before the situation gets worse. 

He turns around and trips over the plush teal bench waiting under the towel rack and almost falls flat on his face like an idiot.

_Shit._

There’s an audible gasp from Amy in the shower and he can practically sense her panicking as she snapped back into reality.

“Chris?” her voice is meek, “Chris, what are you doing here?”

God, this couldn’t get any worse.

He clears his throat and nervously stands to his feet, dusting himself off from the embarrassing tumble he took.

“Uh, no...it’s _ me,  _ Ames ” he admits ashamed, silently swearing at himself for being a fucking loser and acting like a goddamn teenage boy who just walked in on the family’s hot babysitter changing her bra.

There’s a moment of silence where the water just runs and she’s silent.

“..Dan?” he sees her silhouette tense up behind the glass, “Dan, what are you doing in here?”

He coughs to cover his embarrassment, not knowing what to do with his hands or where to look.

“I..I was just dropping Meags off and I know that you weren’t...feeling well so I just...I wanted to make sure you were okay.” he stumbles over his words, keeping his eyes far away from the image of her silhouette being projected against the foggy glass door.

He hears her trying to regain control of her breathing behind the glass and a wave of guilt hits him.

He goes to turn out of the room and just leave because there’s no way in hell even he can regain some ground in this awkward situation.

Then the shower door props open, revealing Amy who has one of her arms covering her tits, her body and blonde hair glistening with hot water.

_ “Dan. _ ” her voice is small and meek, “Dan, get over here for a second.” she pleads, her eyes going wide at him.

He approaches her slowly, his gaze staying firmly on her eyes because he knows the minute his eyes roam her naked body, he’ll lose his goddamn fucking mind.

“Yeah, Ames?”

Amy takes a deep breath and looks him up and down, not removing her hands from her swollen breasts.

“Take off your clothes,” she orders him carefully, pausing in-between words to really assure herself of what she wants.

_ Finally. _

His brain lurches forward in excitement and before he fucking knows it, he’s almost tripping over himself to get rid of his fucking clothes and getting in the shower before it’s too late and she changes her mind.

Their lips smash together almost instantly and it sends Amy against the tile wall of the shower.

The water spills onto hem in a downpour, which is the best way possible and the hot jets of water only energizes his hunger for her.

“You have to be quiet.” he whispers against her neck as he ruts into her, “Meags is in the other room.”

“It doesn’t matter.” she insists, “Chris made the walls soundproof ages ag- _ fuck.” _ she practically breaks mid-sentence, letting him lift her in his arms and rut against her as he pins her against the wall.his

_ “Don’t  _ mention him.”

He’s been so horny for her and her body for the past fourteen years that this moment is something he wants to take his time with because while it’s the first time in ages for them, he certainly doesn’t want it to be the last.

Not if he can help it.

When he pulls away from sucking the spot on her neck she secretly loves (and still does after all these years), he sees her face scrunched in pleasure.

He knows that if this is going to ever happen again, he’ll need to pull out all of the stops to get her to what she needs to be because she so desperately needs something.

She throws her neck to the side, wrapping her legs around his waist as she slides up and down the foggy glass wall, her chest rising up and down with each breath she stumbles out.

“Right _there,_ right _there._ ” she goads against him softly, cradling the back of her neck with her hand.

“Tell me what you want. Tell me, Ames,” he whispers in her ears, running a hand and curving it down the side of her body.

She pants loudly, tightening her legs around his waist adamantly, the hot water dancing on her chest.

“Your fingers..can you?”

_ “Yes.”  _ he’s already way ahead of her, stroking his fingers along the inside of her thigh, using his fingernails to softly trail on her soft skin.

She braces a hand on the tile wall for a moment as he nips at her neck delicately and inches his way up her thigh, giving a slight stroke of her wetness.

“Oh my  _ god. _ .” she drags out the minute he gets his fingers inside of her, her eyes rolling to the back of her head, “ _ Right  _ there, right there, oh my-shitting hell.” 

If he could, he’d grab his phone and record this just to hold onto it for the lonely nights at home because, for the past fourteen years, there’s no woman he’s hooked up with whose made such irresistible, smutty pornstar sounds sound like a fucking angel.

But because it’s in a shower and he has a feeling Amy isn’t a big fan of the whole ‘sex-tape, recording’ idea, he chooses to leave it alone.

“Yeah.” he breathes out, watching her squirm in pure pleasure, “You like that?” he bites on his bottom lip.

She nods, her blue eyes flickering down and looking at him in hunger.

“Go _harder._ ” she orders him, “Faster and harder..”

He can work with this.

With Chris not in the picture and him stepping into the frame at just the right time, he can do this. He can make her feel good and pleasure the way he’s always been able to with the magic she simply just cannot resist.

He knows that he’s doing a damn good job from the way her legs tighten around his waist and she rides her hips against his hand and it fills him with so much joy and desire that it makes him fucking ecstatic.

The only downside is every time he tries to go in to kiss her, she either obliges with a meek kiss or throws her head to the side, avoiding him altogether. 

He tries his best to ignore it because well, it’s a fucking honor that she’s letting him do this to her in the first place and he wasn’t going to fuck up any more offers of him pleasuring her in the future.

When he finally gets her off and she comes to herself, all fast and hot, she releases this sound that's loud and mewling and it’s so hot that it almost makes him lose himself right then and there. 

He goes to remove his fingers from her which prompts him to be met with her Ocean blue eyes zeroing in on him like he’s the most important person ever and he adores it.

She reaches down and grabs the hand he used to get her off on and takes his fingers in her mouth, sucking and salivating on his long fingers, peering up at him through her long, sooty eyelashes.

And it’s easily the hottest thing he’s ever seen in his entire fucking existence.

Yes, Chris is a goddamn fucking idiot but, if what he told Dan at the bar is true, about him teaching Amy all of these flips and tricks for fucking, then he’ll have to forward him a ‘Thank You’ card.

“Fuck, Ames.” he breathes out in surprise, his eyes going wide at the sight of her tasting herself off of his fingers.

From their few, short sexual encounters he’s never seen Amy get freaky like this. Don’t get him wrong, she has a few small kinks here and there but this...this was something unparallel, something life-changing and he found himself falling in love with her all over again.

She returns to her feet, her eyes glossing over his naked body and landing on his (now throbbing) dick that stands at attention.

“Uh, _ thanks _ ,” she mumbles out, looking away from him now and focusing on whatever her eyes can land on but she sneaks a few glances at him every other second, “I can... _ I can _ leave you to.. _ it  _ if you’d like.” she awkward wrings her wet hair.

“I’d rather leave it to you.” he takes a small step near her.

The air must’ve left the room because know she just awkwardly blinks up at him like he’s some stranger that she’s genuinely never seen before.

“I... _ I _ gotta go.” the panic snaps into her voice and the moment is officially over, “You can just..handle _ it.”  _ she pushes past him out of the large shower and directly to her towel rack where her black robe is waiting for her. 

Fuck. Not this. 

“Ames.” he groans, poking his head out of the shower, “Ames, lets.. let's  _ talk _ about this.” he offers, searching for some ground in this potential dispute.

She shakes her head furiously, pulling her wet hair into a low ponytail.

“No Dan, just...be quick please.” she sighs, “I just...I _ jus _ t need to be alone.” her hands slide down to cradle that small pouch of her stomach.

Then he remembers that she’s fucking pregnant. 

And everything gets worse.

No wonder she couldn’t enjoy this the way she wanted to, she still has a piece of Chris left in her gut and it’s probably driving her up the fucking wall. 

If he could, he’d take Amy to the first abortion clinic to rid her of the kid and Chris’s sperm lingering inside of her for the next seven months. 

But, the last time he tried to do that...she ran away from him so, he decides it would be in his best interest to not do that.

She’s tired, she’s confused, she’s conflicted and she’s hurting. He can see it all in her eyes even though they were flashing looks of pleasure in his face not even five minutes ago. 

“I'll be out in a few.” he gives an earnest nod, closing the glass door and throwing himself against the tiles.

And that’s how he ends up angrily jerking off in Amy’s shower on a Monday night.

* * *

 

For some strange reason, Chris’s assistant, Daphne, reaches out to him and informs him that Chris is requesting to see him at his boxing gym in Downtown DC.

Part of him wants to be the smug asshole and decline the meeting because as far as he’s concerned he doesn’t owe that prick  _ anything.  _

But an even bigger part of him wants to see this asshole in person and chew him out for how he fucking treated Amy a few weeks back.

So, against his will, early Tuesday morning, he makes Frances watch Meagan (against his wishes) and he drives his way to the high-end gym that’s a good forty minutes away from his penthouse.

Leave it to this asshole to workout at a gym so far away that it takes up half of his fucking gas tank.

Once he arrives, Daphne meets him at the front door and escorts him to the private training room where she tells him Chris is waiting for him.

When he twists open the door, he’s met with at least six guys standing around the wide-set boxing ring as Chris hops back and forth with his trainer, serving him all kinds of punches and moves.

God, why did this fucker always have to have the cast of ‘Casino’ on deck with him at all times? Could they just have a fucking conversation without his tough as nails best friends cornering the room?

The moment Chris lands an uppercut on his trainer's jaw and the poor man goes down, he turns to the door and sees Dan, his face falling into a knowing look.

“Well.” he takes a step back to survey his trainer who stumbles around on the floor, “If it isn’t Dan Egan.”

“Chris. It’s always not a pleasure.” he takes a step forward to the ring, keeping his distance and staying comfortably close to a couch in the small waiting area.

Chris bares his teeth at that, “Likewise.” he takes a long sip from his water bottle and disposes of it in the hands of yet another young woman wearing an impossibly short dress, “Refill.” he demands her.

The young brunette girl nods and stands at attention.

“Oh and Rebecca? Can you fetch a G&T for Daniel? We have matters we need to discuss.”

“Actually, I’m fi-”

“He’s fine with a G&T. Rebecca, please get started on the drink immediately.” he ducks under the topes of the ring, making his way down the staircase, stretching his arms over his head.

Fuck.

He was trying (and failing) to curb his drinking because not only were the hangovers getting more and more unbearable but, he had to fucking deal with this rehabilitation center north of who-the-fuck-knows-where in Washington hitting him up left and right about when he’ll be fulfilling his Doctor’s orders and checking in.

He watches as Chris makes his way over to the couch sitting opposite of the one he’s seated at as he peels off his sweaty shirt and turning around, letting a young and chipper woman shrug a navy blue sweater on his body.

“May I get you anything else, Mr. Blake?” 

“Yes!” Chris takes a seat and stretches his legs out on the coffee table in between the two red couches they both sit on, “Fetch me the matte black medicine case sitting in my trunk, please.” 

The young woman nods and stalks out of the room, the gaggle of guys watching the delicate view of her ass as she walks away.

When he looks over at Chris, he sees him licking his lips in great interest at the blonde chick as she finally exits the room, closing the door shut behind her.

And that’s how he knows Chris is an even bigger idiot then advertised. 

The fucker literally gets to go home to Amy fucking Brookheimer every night he fucking pleases, her ass alone was easily one of the best in DC and the fact that Chris is gawking at other asses when he has the free option of staring at Amy's for free fills Dan with fucking rage.

“Why the fuck did you call me down here?” Dan doesn't waste any time.

Chris’ eyes widen at him in disbelief and he chuckles harmoniously at that, shaking his head and wagging a finger at Dan like he’s an innocent little boy whose repeated a swear word. 

“Figured we could chat, we have a lot to discuss.” he shrugs simply as if he just suggested they have a totally normal, full-length conversation about the fucking weather. 

“Chat about what?” Dan grumbles, trying to act unimpressed with the Diamond encrusted Rolex one of Chris’ playmates slide onto his right wrist. 

“We can start with the fact I caught you slobbering down my fucking  fiancée back at the hospital while our kid was fucking admitted.” Chris pulls his wrist away from the dark-haired girl and takes a good look at the watch, “I mean I know you’re not a romantic but the fucking Children’s Hospital as your opener? Don’t tell me you were planning on the fucking Delivery suite as your closer.” 

“Are you mad that she enjoyed it?” Dan feigns with a fake-smile directed right at Chris, something he does best, “Because last time I checked she was practically begging for it.”

Chris barks in laughter at that, his unzipped sweater bouncing around in delight and it takes all of Dan to not lean forward and land an uppercut punch right on his sharp jaw.

And also the guys lingering around them look like they could kill Dan with just one look.

“Enjoyed it?” he chortles at him as he snaps his fingers and his phone is magically placed in the palm of his hands in record speed by one of his fucking bald-headed goons, “That’s fuckin’ hilarious”

He forgets about giving him a clever comeback because he watches Chris scroll through his phone aimlessly and turns his phone’s speaker volume to full.

And he really wishes he hadn’t done that.

He’s met with an audio recording of what’s definitely Amy and Chris fucking and from the sounds Amy makes….she sounds like the most beautiful fucking pornstar he’s ever heard.

Since when did Amy have a Daddy Kink? Well, considering who her type was...it kinda made sense but it’s certainly something Dan’s never gotten to experience in all it’s glory and it fucking kills him because that means he didn’t fully satisfy Amy. 

Part of him wants to sit back and listen to the recording because it’s just that beautiful and orgasmic to listen to but, an even bigger part of him is disgusted by the fact that Chris would go that low to prove a point.

In the shower yesterday, it sounded like she enjoyed it at least? Wasn't that worth something?

"Fun fact about that recording." Chris smiles to himself and lifts a finger into the air, "The missus was really horny, as she usually is, and she practically downed a whole bottle of Vodka and rode me like a fucking cowgirl the whole goddamn night." he licks his lips in approval, "It's also the night we made that little rascal settling in her gut right about now."

He can't do this.

If he has to listen to another moment of this asshole openly disrespecting his girl like this then he's going to really fucking gully in this goddamn room in a fucking second. Even though the score is 2-1 for him and Chris, he's fairly positive he can beat his fucking ass when it counts the most.

Meaning now.

"Fuck it, I'm telling Amy." he stands from the couch, hearing all he's needed to for today, "She was right, you're a goddamn loser and a piece of shit."

He goes towards the door but the minute he does, one of Chris' many assistants make their way back into the room, medicine box nestled in their hands and after a few seconds of waiting, they hand it to Chris with a small smile.

"You think Amy knows about you orchestrating the leak?"

Fuck.

He turns around and sees Chris sitting in the same spot with his legs neatly crossed and medicine box resting right in his lap as peacefully as ever and he had a signature smirk on his face as Dan's face falls and freezes in place.

"That wasn't me." 

 _"Really?"_ Chris' eyes widen at him, "Because according to Candi Carusso and Mallory Sierra, you were pretty much the brains of the entire operation."

Maybe it was a little bit true but it genuinely wasn't as bad as it fucking sounded when someone as cynical as Chris fucking says it out loud.

He doesn't even hide the guilt in his face, doesn't bother to charm his way out of this one.

He didn't like admitting to this but he's met his match with Chris.

He's quite everything Dan used to be times a million and it kills him knowing that someone like that gets to live the life he should've been living with Amy for all these years.

"What is it you want?" he mumbles out, keeping his eyes locked on the floor out of irritation.

He hated seeming weak and this is probably the weakest he's ever felt.

Much to his surprise, he unlocks the medicine box as he stands to his feet and pulls out a silver Glock and keeps it nestled in his hand tightly, his finger playing with the trigger ever so slightly.

He can't even hide the fear in his face because it's a fucking Gun and it's frightening.

"You see this?" Chris approaches him slowly and he feels his heartbeat in the soles of his shoes, he practically hits the door behind as he tries to maneuver as far away from the gun as possible.

 _"Yes."_ Dan manages to grit out nervously.

"Look, Dan. I don't like you a great deal in case it hasn't already been noticed. If I could have it my way, you'd be in the bare-balls of Switzerland being on the receiving end of an incurable disease you got from accidentally fucking a monkey but instead of being there where you belong, you're here making everyone's life a living fucking hell with your incessant demands of being relevant again."

"Amy's pregnant." Chris keeps his free hand on the bone of his hips while the other one stays firmly nestled in his opposing hand.

"I know." 

"She's in her second month with our kid. Do you hear that? _Our_ kid. Now for whatever reason, you've decided to implement your zero to none parenting skills and inflicting them upon my innocent, fourteen-year-old-daughter who you couldn't have given a rat's ass about fourteen years ago." he stands right in front of Dan, his voice cool, calm and collective.

"Now how long does a pregnancy last, Dan?"

Dan musters out a deep breath, trying his best to stay calm and not look at the gun.

"About nine months."

"That's right." Chris gives him a fake smile that makes him literally sick to his stomach. "Now since we're in the second month, you only have seven months to do this Daddy-Daycare routine and after that, you're gone."

"Excuse me?"

"Once the baby is born and we prepare to move to California, you're going to mysteriously disappear...no calls, no texts, no nothing. You're invisible, a fucking ghost to them."

"Chris man, I can't fucking do that. Think of Meagan, man. I can't put her through that again."

"You can and you will." he nods at him like it's set in stone, "Seven months is more than enough time to not fuck up Meagan too badly."

He wants an actual relationship with Meagan, not some seven-month stint where he abandons her high and dry. 

All his life, he's felt guilty knowing that there was a girl with his genes and his personality moving around in this world without him and or his guidance.

"What happens if I say no." Dan challenges him with a small voice.

Chris lifts the gun so it's right in his eyesight.

"I kill you." he bites at him, "...and don't think I haven't fucking done it before."

The men around him laugh at the scene unfolding and Dan feels a tightening pain in his chest, not knowing what to do.

The sad thing is he knows that the fucker could absolutely kill him right fucking now, no holds barred, if he really wanted to because he's that fucking crazy.

"So, do we have a deal?" Chris plays on the trigger teasingly, folding his arms over his chest, "The minute that kid pops out, you leave town."

He nods, feeling his throat close up in fear because he genuinely doesn't even know if he'll make it out of here alive.

"Deal."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment on this chapter! It's heavily encouraged and greatly appreciated


	11. You Give Love a Bad Name

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If he closes his eyes and loses himself for a minute, her voice sounds just like Amy hammering whatever explicit insult she can possibly think of into his ears and it’s quite fucking frightening. 
> 
> Any kid that’s half-Amy and half-him was bound to be a hyper-smart, brilliant, sarcastic, good-looking and savage individual. And for fuck’s sake, if this is only their kid, he’d hate to see a kid that’s half-Amy and half-Chris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to every single one of you readers for tuning in and reading this story with so much dedication and support, I greatly appreciate it!
> 
> The updates for this story will be a bit more spread out soon due to the fact that I start college soon and I'll be too busy trying to get the rest of this story into the remaining chapters!
> 
> Once you're finished reading, don't forget to leave a comment, letting me know what you thought about this chapter! I love hearing you guys feedback.

> _You promise me heaven, then put me through hell_
> 
> _Chains of love got a hold on me_
> 
> _When passion’s a prison, you can’t break free_
> 
> _'You Give Love a Bad Name'- Bon Jovi_

* * *

 

He could take care of a fourteen-year-old.

Well, he _thinks_ he can.

He fucking _hopes_ he can.

 _“So.”_ Dan breaks the bubble of silence the minute he pulls away from Amy’s house and speeds out of the gated community, “You like high school so far?”

Meagan gives an uninterested noise from her throat, keeping her eyes locked on her phone.

“You’re a Freshman, right?” he tries again, trying to make her notice that he looks away from the road for a second to give her a look, showing that he’s invested in forming a conversation with her.

“Yep.”

“Is it fun? School I mean, do you have a lot of friends?” 

“I do.” she slides on her sunglasses and leans her head against the window dramatically, “None of them you can date though.” 

Wait, what?

For the life of him, he can’t even suppress the look of shock that paints onto his face at the response from the teenage girl who doesn’t even put forth any effort in looking his way.

From the way Amy had first reacted when she heard that Dan even wanted to leave her a goddamn message at work, it’s hard for him to imagine Amy willingly sitting Meagan down and disclosing to her all of this shit he’s done to her in the past.

“What makes you think I’d want to date one of your little friends? That’s a fucking death sentence waiting to happen.”

“Didn’t you fuck a sixteen-year-old with my name when you were like fifty-six?”

“For fuck’s sake.” he grits out in irritation, “I was fucking thirty-nine and a half!”

She finally decides to turn around at that and raises a suspicious, unimpressed eyebrow at Dan who does his best to keep his eyes on the road ahead of him.

“Like that’s any better.” she folds her arms over her chest, “Besides, this little hangout that I’m being subjected to with you won’t last long enough for you to even meet any of my friends.”

“Am-your Mom told me to watch you for the next few days until she comes back and that’s all. Nothing else.” his grip tightens on the steering wheel.

“If you listened to my Mom the way you do now then maybe you wouldn’t have been a deadbeat.” the teenage girl suggests nonchalantly like they’re discussing something as mundane as the sequoia trees lining the ground of the sidewalk.

“Why don’t we ease up on the use of the D-word? I wasn’t there then but I’m here now, let’s just start from there.”

“No thanks, I’m fine.”

“You’re also staying in my house for the next few days, ease up on the attitude or I’ll lock you out.”

Meagan groans dramatically at that, her bottom lip puckering out in true-Brookheimer passion and it’s such a fucking trip seeing the emotions Amy usually displays on a kid that’s half hers and half his.

“Fine. Drop me off at my boyfriend’s house.” she returns to her phone, “His parents said that they’d be more than happy to let me stay there.”

Jesus, the kid had a boyfriend?

If Meagan is anything like he was at age fourteen then there’s no chance in fucking hell that she’s going anywhere near her so-called ‘boyfriend’s’ house because he’ll be damned if she’s doing any of the shit he was doing when he was her age.

(And something tells him Amy would be pretty fed-up with him if he dropped her kid off at some little high schooler’s house so they could do god knows what).

“There’s no way in hell I’m dropping you off at some underage cretin’s house.” Dan snorts, “Now, is there anything specific you want for dinner?”

“He’s not a cretin and I’m not hungry. Now if you excuse me, I have a musical to prepare for.” Meagan sneaks a hand into her pockets and produces a pair of Airpods, placing them in her ear quite harshly.

At this point, he doesn’t know whether to laugh or shudder in fear at just how much this kid sounds like Amy.

If he closes his eyes and loses himself for a minute, her voice sounds just like Amy hammering whatever explicit insult she can think of into his ears and it’s quite fucking frightening. 

Any kid that’s half-Amy and half-him was bound to be a hyper-smart, brilliant, sarcastic, good-looking and savage individual. And for fuck’s sake, if this is only their kid, he’d hate to see a kid that’s half-Amy and half-Chris.

Sure, their kid could start a fucking smile but Dan knows that Amy and Chris’ could probably set the world ablaze just because they’re fucking bored.

Say what you want about Meagan but at least she wasn't a fucking Psychopath with Sociopathetic tendencies like fucking Chris. 

Well, he hoped she wasn’t at least.

“What day is your musical? I’d love to come.” Dan lies through his gritted teeth, trying to make an effort to make it at least seem like he cares.

Meagan groans dramatically.

“Well, you’re not coming.” 

“Because?”

“Because I _said_ so.”

Jesus Christ, this wasn’t Amy Brookheimer’s daughter, this damn near was Amy fucking Brookheimer in the goddamn fucking flesh. 

“Meagan, listen-”

“No, you listen, _Dan.”_ her head spins towards him in an instant, her perfectly arched eyebrows heightening on her forehead and an angry blush taking over her milky-white cheeks, “I don’t want you there because there’s no reason for you to be there. You weren’t at my first birthday, second birthday or any of my birthdays and you sure as hell weren’t at any of my competitions, games or performances in your life. I know nothing about you and I don’t want to know anything about you because quite frankly, I have you all figured out. You are a miserable, middle-aged, sexist, irrelevant drunk who gets off in the middle of his long and lonely nights knowing that you accidentally impregnated my Mom on a goddamn campaign trail for some political has-been. So don’t tell me to listen to whatever bullshit you try to serve me on a fake-ass silver platter because in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t fucking care”

Shit.

“Now can I please go back to listening to my music uninterrupted?”

He swallowed thickly, not knowing what to do with his face that’s flushed red in embarrassment and bewilderment.

“Uh...sure, go right ahead.” his voice is thick and stoic.

Fuck, this was his goddamn kid. 

And knowing that made this a million times harder than he ever could’ve fucking imagined. 

* * *

_SPOTTED: Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake kiss goodbye before Brookheimer boards Air Force One._

_People_

_ President Ryan has arrived in New York City earlier today to visit the athletes of the Brooklyn Technical High School Boy's Swimming Team who were apart of a devasting bus crash weeks ago. _

_Politico_

_President Ryan tells the victims of recent bus crash that the best thing about injuries is all of the 'P****' they'll slam. Did he go too far?_

_The Hill_

_Dear President Ryan, please stop opening your mouth. Sincerely, everybody._

_The Atlantic_

_"The President is determined to put forth all effort needed to help this community heal from this traumatic event" Ryan Administration member, Teddy Sykes tells journalists outside of the President's hotel._

_CBS News_

_Chris Blake is reportedly resigning from his position as President Jonah Ryan's official Media Consultant after much consideration._

_Vox_

_The Ryan Administration are set to meet with Planned Parenthood in New York to discuss awareness for women's health and wellness._

_The Huffington Post_

_Amy Brookheimer and Michelle York have lunch with Aviana Osbourne, President of Planned Parenthood, at Eleven Madison Park located in New York City to discuss plans on full Maternity Leave for working women in the United States._

_The Guardian_

* * *

"Have you spoken to Meags?" Michelle asks her over breakfast that following Tuesday as they're both sequestered in Amy's hotel room.

She takes a sip of her tea and runs a hand through her hair, putting her hand underneath her chin and taking the time to look out into the rainy day of New York through the large mirror of the room.

"She's pissed at me," Amy groans, "I mean I don't exactly blame her, I left her high and dry with her deadbeat dad and I'm such a fucking idiot."

Since Jonah had pretty much fucked up their first ten hours of being in New York on Monday, the team had made the executive decision to put a hold for a few hours just to ensure that Jonah straightened his disarrayed ass as best as he could so he could stop making a complete idiot of himself in front of the goddamn world.

Michelle nods at that, taking a chance to sip on her coffee mug.

Fuck, she knows something. 

"Has she said something to you?" Amy doesn't hold back.

Michelle tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear and chews on her bottom lip.

"She told me that she's still upset over the fight between you and Chris." 

"Whose upset over what fight?" Chris exits the master bedroom suite, his sunglasses resting perfectly on the top of his head.

Shit.

They whip their heads to see Chris who fixes the cufflinks of his all-black outfit as he approaches the table with a raised eyebrow and a hint of concern in his eye. 

She opens her mouth to speak but Michelle clears her throat knowingly and gives Amy a pointed look indicating that it would just be best for her to feign some doe-eyed bullshit to Chris to avoid yet another argument altogether.

And lord knows she was sick and tired of fucking arguing.

"Nothing." she just goes along with it and gives a tight-lipped smile, "You heading out?" 

He nods at that, submerging his phone in his pocket and removing his trench coat from the closet near the door. 

"Parker and my team are waiting for me downstairs, I've got a full day of press to do but, I'm going to get it done as quickly as possible so I can be back and here for you." he inches back towards her and bends his head down to move his lips against hers painfully slow, running a finger through her hair gently.

"I love you." he draws in a long breath, his blue eyes staring down at her in a strong gaze.

Even though she loved him, she wasn't really...there with him yet. It's not like they were shy virgins who haven't seen one another naked, they've said that they love one another several times throughout their relationship but, as of right now, she's just not ready to fall into the trap of saying the word again.

"I'll see you later." she quips, reaching out and taking yet another sip of her tea.

There's a look of confusion flaring across his soft features and Amy knows it takes everything in him to not stop whatever he has planned for the day and confront her as to why she isn't being upfront with on her feelings again.

He fucking hated it when she was reserved with her feelings. 

He throws his trench coat over his sleeve and storms off, muttering words underneath his breath and all Amy can make out is in an unintelligent ' _Fucking ridiculous.'_

The minute the door is slammed shut, she releases a deep breath and hangs her head in shame, keeping her eyes away from Michelle altogether. 

"That was.. _.something."_ Michelle rolls her eyes, leaning forward and taking a bite of her french toast.

Amy groans as she lifts her head and shakes her head in annoyance.

"He's been so fucking amped up since yesterday. I don't fucking get it." she winces in confusion, "After he came from the gym in DC and actually got out here, he's been like ready to punch somebody and I don't get why."

"He's fucking crazy." Michelle rubs her shoulder uncomfortably, "...any man that triggered over you not saying three goddamn words is a fucking lunatic."

"I _know_ he's crazy." Amy shrugs her shoulders, "...I just don't get why he's acting like this lately, it's so fucking frustrating."

She doesn't know what to think of Chris right about now.

Obviously, she's still in love with him and very much so having their kid but, him acting like a fucking dark cloud 24/7, all antsy and ready to rain on someone else's parade is tiring her out. 

Not only that but their arguing is pretty much scheduled for every other day.

She doesn't want to leave him by any means but, she doesn't want to fucking argue on a goddamn schedule and put herself into more unnecessary stress, especially now.

"He's acting like this to get a rise out of you." Michelle throws her hair behind her back, "That's why Meagan was so upset after you guys' fight, she didn't like the way Chris was speaking to you the entire time."

Yeah well, neither did she. 

"I'm still upset about that too." Amy admits with a sigh, "We've had our fights and our arguments here and there but him calling me those names just in general really pisses me the fuck off because it makes me think of all of this other shit he must've been thinking for the past few weeks."

She's not proud of the fight. 

For Chris to openly call her those expletive names in her home, in front of Meagan just fills her with so much rage and aggression that it's quite unreal. Not to mention the fact that the fight was so publicized and turned into this great big deal in the public just made her sick to her goddamn stomach. For two weeks, she had to listen to everyone under the sun critique and criticize her and her relationship as if they knew anything about her. 

"I do think that you should leave him." Michelle suggests with a cautious tone, "...regardless of whether or not the allegations are true, the way he responded to you being visibly upset was terrible. Him responding to your anger like that is very telling of what he actually thinks of you."

The sad thing about this whole ordeal is that she agrees with Michelle. 

Sure, she loves Chris more than she honestly should but, she figures she shouldn't love him if he believes that the way he treated or talked to her is okay because it genuinely isn't. 

The last thing she would ever want is for Meagan or this new baby to become num to this kind of behavior and just accept it as 'normal' in a relationship because it is not. 

She wouldn't go as far as claiming that what she and Chris have is abusive simply because he's never put his hands on her or vice versa but, she has a feeling that what they have right now, is probably one of the biggest moments of their lives is not healthy and it hurts to admit it.

"So what do I do?" Amy slaps her hands against her face the headache already inching on as her stomach lurches slightly, "Parker set up this whole fucking press week for him where he talks about the baby and the cheating and the engagement, none of which I've ever really agreed for him to discuss."

Michelle strokes her chin for a minute, "Do you know Kyle Wescott?"

"Sounds familiar." Amy removes her hands from her face, "What does he do?"

Michelle picks up her phone from the table and begins to scroll through it, "He's a lawyer that specializes in family and civil litigation suits. I went to Yale with him and when I was going through my custody-battle with Tom, I brought Kyle on to my case and he ended up getting me full-custody of Noah, something I wouldn't have been able to have gotten without him."

"You think he could get me full custody of the baby?" Amy can't help but ask because, at this point, it only seems like the best possible option.

"I mean, you'd have to wait until the baby is actually born to pursue legal action because of the Dillion Law but, there's no reason why you shouldn't." Michelle clears her throat, "The next seven months, you can work with Kyle and spend the time creating a case."

She nods at that and takes a sip of her water, hearing Chris' nagging voice in the back of her head, reminding her to drink water.

If keeping her, Meagan and this baby safe from Chris entails her entering a potential custody battle and months upon months of hostility then she'll have to put on a brake fucking face and do it as best as she possibly can. 

Even though breaking up with Chris is quite literally the last thing she wants to do, it's something she knows deep down that this is the only way to do things as safely and responsibly as she possibly can.

What the two of them have is something Amy's all she's wanted her adult life but, if getting that means running the risk of not feeling safe around said partner anymore, then she knows it's not worth it.

Not by any means.

* * *

"What's this?" Meagan crinkles her nose at him as she enters the kitchen with her arms folded directly over her chest.

Dan looks up from the stove and gives a tight-lipped grin as he slides the food onto the plate and rubs his hands together, pushing the plate towards his bar counter seat with a finger pointing at the chair. 

"I figured you were tired of fire-roasted grilled veggies and brown rice so, I decided to make you something better than that." he turns around and shuts off the stove, heading towards his cupboard and grabbing a cup to pour water into.

"How'd you know I liked Grilled Cheese sandwiches?"

Easy, called your Mom in a quick panic the minute you're genetically shrill ass took a nap. 

"Your Mom likes them." he offers, "...not to mention the fact that I kinda make the Best Grilled Cheese Sandwich of all time if we're being completely honest."

The girl hesitantly pulls her hair into a high ponytail and slides onto the seat of the counter, placing her elbows on the granite-top counter.

"I'm not supposed to be having dairy." she speaks to him slowly, enunciating her words as if he can't understand her, "Cheese is very much dairy and very much something I _shouldn't_ be eating after my surgery."

"I know. That's why I made it with dairy-free Cheese and Butter with Gluten-Free Sourdough bread." Dan gives her a smug smile, mentally patting himself on the back, "And water has zero calories so don't even try to scold me on that." 

For a minute, he's got her stumped.

Her Chocolate Brown eyes locked in on the steaming food on the plate in front of her and he can practically see the hunger in her eyes as she tries to formulates an excuse to deny the food in front of her, much like her mother would do.

"I didn't know you could cook." Meagan refuses to look him in the eye.

"Well, there's a lot of things you don't know about me." Dan takes a bite of the salad he had managed to make himself on the side, "I'm a man full of wonder."

"..and abandonment," Meagan adds in for extra measure, finally looking him in the eye to give him a once-over suspicious look, "But that's neither here nor there."  she rolls down the sleeves of her UCLA sweatshirt.

Even though it was only the first night of her being at his house, Dan was already ready for the kid to go home. It's not like she was misbehaving by any means but, the constant digs and attacks of him not being present in her life were starting to get to him and the only just got home a few hours ago.

"Well, I'm here now." he adjusts the frame of his glasses, "Now eat up before you pass out."

He watches as Meagan waste no time in tearing apart the sandwich and takes a large bite out of one half, her eyes rolling back in pure ecstasy and relishing in the taste of the steaming hot sandwich.

That'll do it.

Instead of taking the seat near her to sit down, Dan simply leans against the counter and focuses on eating his salad and occasionally looks up in between every other bite to ensure that Meagan is okay.

"Is it good?" Dan laughs to himself as he watches the girl practically devour the first half of the sandwich, her hungry eyes zeroing in on the remaining half with hungry eyes.

"It's fucking amazing." she exhales, turning to take a sip of her water, "....all I've been eating is goddamn vegetables and rice and this tastes like crack...the _good_ kind."

It wasn't the doe-eyed praise he was exactly looking for but there's excitement nonetheless so he'll happily take it.

"I'll take it." Dan laughs at that, pouring himself a glass of water and taking a long sip.

"So, what do you want me to know about you?" Meagan's face goes from pure exuberance to pure business in a way that only a true spawn of Amy can pull off, "I mean I genuinely know nothing about you."

"Depends. I won't tell you my social security number or anything but everything is pretty much free to discuss." he offers. 

Meagan leans forward on her elbows at that, keeping the last half of the sandwich in her small fingers and narrowing her eyes at Dan who stands before her. 

If fucking Grilled Cheese Sandwiches is what gets Meagan in a calm state of Euphoria and off of whatever attitude wave she comes crashing in on whenever he enters the goddamn picture then Dan will happily make her all of the goddamn Grilled Cheeses in the fucking world to keep her like this. 

"How many women have you slept with?"

Spoke too soon.

He can't even suppress the snort that escapes from his throat and he has to do a double-take to ensure that it's his fucking daughter asking him this question.

Sure, plenty of women have asked him that same question, he wasn't a stranger to hearing it but, there was something extremely odd and offputting hearing his child ask him it. Not to mention the fact that said child looks and sounds exactly like their Mother and it only makes this a million times worse in reality.

"I'm not telling you that."

"Why?" Meagan's voice is mocking.

"Because I said so." he states like it's obvious, "Not to mention the fact that answering a question like that would guarantee me a visit from CPS and your Mother so let's ease away from that road, why don't we."

 _"Fine."_ Meagan groans in protest as if he suggested she donate her fucking phone to the Goodwill for fun.

"What's your favorite movie?"

Okay, this is something he can do.

"Raiders."

Her soft features contort in confusion, "The football team?"

"Raiders of the Lost Ark." he clarifies and when the girl simply shrugs her shoulders in confusion, he feels his fucking hear sink, "Indiana Jones?"

"Whose that?"

Jesus Christ. 

"I'm going to act like you didn't just say that." he clenches back a loud exhale and runs a hand through his hair, "Next question."

"Favorite color?"

"Blue."

"Favorite Ice Cream flavor?"

"Hell if I know...probably Pistachio or some shit."

"Where are you even from?"

"Albany, New York. Born and raised."

Meagan rolls her eyes at that, "Don't say that, please." she winces dramatically, "Now do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"One older sister and one younger brother." he takes a sip of his water.

Speaking of which...

"How do you feel about your Mom having this baby. You excited?"

Meagan gives a bitter laugh as she takes a big bite of her Grilled Cheese, taking a moment to savor the taste once again.

 _"Nope."_ she sighs deeply, "She should just do what's best for herself and abort it. Lord knows she could barely handle me, now she's expecting that she'll magically take care of the baby the minute it arrives.

Well fuck, he was expecting something but it certainly wasn't that.

It's no surprise that he's completely in favor of the whole Amy getting an abortion and dumping Chris at the clinic flat on his ass plan but, something tells him that Amy may not be ready to fully go through and commit to that because she's so fucking blind to Chris and his toxic behavior.

Sure, their relationship was truly not the best by any means but, Dan would like to acknowledge the fact that he isn't as bad as Chris is/can be.

"You haven't told your Mom this have you?" 

"No, I'm not an idiot." she plays with the end of her long ponytail, keeping her eyes down, "...she's too busy thinking of Chris' dick to actually pay attention to me or anything else."

Dan chokes on his water at that.

"Whoa now, Missy." he holds a hand up, "Try not talking about your Mom like she's a gold-digging pornstar? It's the least you can do considering the fact that she's been so hell-bent on keeping you safe."

"Yeah right." Meagan cackles, turning her attention to spectate her nails closely, "If she gave a shit about me then she wouldn't have left me with you, _no offense."_  

He doesn't know how to follow that.

"Meagan. Your Mom loves you.. _.a lot_ and she doesn't love just anybody. She fought tooth and nail to have you and she'll do it every day just to keep you around, believe me."

Meagan drums her fingernails against the granite of the counter as she keeps her eyes everywhere but on Dan.

"Then why'd you guys have sex?"

Shit.

He chokes on his water (again) and he's truly at a loss for words from the teenage girl.

"Excuse me?"

"Earlier today. In the shower, my room is near her and Chris' room and I know for a fact that the walls are not soundproof because the sounds I've heard for the past four years are truly inhumane." she shudders the thought.

Shit.

"You guys back together?" 

He couldn't lie to the kid, she already knew too much as it is. He knows for a fact that Amy doesn't know Meagan is well aware of their brief shower hook-up because if she did then there's no chance in hell she'd turn around and let Meagan stay with Dan right after, especially when she was still technically together with Chris. 

"No...no, no." the words leave Dan's mouth before he can help it, "I think it would be best if you just not worry about it." his voice is now thick with worry.

A look of guilt washes on Meagan's soft features and she finally looks up from her hands.

"I wasn't going to tell Chris...I mean, I figured that whatever happened was none of my business and I was willing to forget it." she swallows thickly.

"If I were you, I'd just forget it." Dan turns his back towards Meagan, hiding the look of panic on his face, "I think it's time you get to bed." 

There's a moment of silence and he can practically hear his thoughts.

"Alright, I'll.. _.I'll.._..uh see you in the morning." she gives a nervous couch and makes her way out of the kitchen without a second delayed. 

Since the kid was staying with him and recovering from surgery, he let her sleep in his bed for the next few days and he'll sleep on the couch and he instantly regrets the decision.

All he wants to do is pour himself a Scotch and curl up under his covers but he can't because he's a drink away from a hangover of death and the fact that his daughter is sleeping in his bed removes the bed option completely.

God this whole 'parenting' thing was exhausting.

* * *

 

The minute she enters the hotel room on Friday, she knows what she has to do even though it's quite literally the last thing she wants to do.

There's quite possibly a million things she'd rather do than this but, she knows that it's right and that it's time to just get it over with.

She takes a quick shower, making work of powering through her nightly routine as short as she can because her energy is quite literally through the sky right about now and if she has to wait to do this another moment she may lose her goddamn mind.

"You okay?" Chris raises an eyebrow at her as she approaches him as he sits on the couch, watching the television mindlessly.

Her feet move slowly as she nervously plays with her fingers, biting on her bottom lip.

"We need to talk."

He tears his attention away from the television completely and looks Amy up and down suspiciously.

"What's wrong?"

You. Me. _Everything._

 _"_ Don't do that." she rolls her eyes, taking a seat on the coffee table right in front of him, "We need to talk."

Chris groans, his eyes rolling simultaneously as he reaches out for the remote and shuts off the tv, placing his elbows on his knees as he straightens out his posture against the couch.

"Fine. What are we talking about?" 

You and your craziness. 

Amy takes a deep breath, running a hand through her hair and hanging her head down for a short second.

Even though their fight happened a few weeks ago, Amy can still hear Chris insulting her in the back of her head like a broken fucking record. She didn't like the feeling of being with him intimately and knowing damn-well that he said all of that shit to her face and probably meant it for all she knows at this point.

"I've been doing some thinking about.... _us_ and I realized that as much as I love you, I just can't move on from the way you and I acted in that fight. The fact that you called me all of that, to my face scares me, Chris, and to be quite honest, I don't really know who you are anymore.".

"Ames, you're being ridiculous."

"Huh?"

Chris blows his cheeks out and runs a hand through his hair, "What happened two _fucking_ weeks ago was a blow-up that was destined to happen. We were both tired, emotional and set up to do that from everyone else. Why else do you think they sent a goddamn secret service agent to the house?" 

"To ensure that I didn't fucking kill you on the spot, you goddamn idiot." 

He snorts at that, his jaw beginning to unhinge with a look of anger in his eyes.

"Babe." his voice is slow and careful, "You're exhausted, okay? Let's get you to bed.".

He tries to reach out and touch her but she struggles away from him, not bothering to be gentle with her rapid movements as she ducks away from him.

"Will you please listen to me? I'm trying to talk to you but you're too focused on getting me to roll over and let this go when I won't an I shouldn't have to."

Chris stands to his feet and looks down at her with stern eyes.

"I'm not proud of that fight, _believe_ me, I'm not but I'm not going to spend the next eighteen years being reminded of that every time I forget to do a mundane fucking task."

This is part of the reason it's so difficult to be with Chris.

He had a talent for manipulating people, young and old and it always worked. No man should be that good at getting people to do everything he wants and or desires, it's concerning as shit and as far as Amy's concerned, she doesn't want to deal with it anymore.

"See? There you go again!" her hands fly in the air in frustration.

"God, what now?" he throws his head back in a distinct groan, "What could be the fucking problem now?" 

"You and your manipulation!" she points at him, "You've made me look like an idiot these past four years because you insist on manipulating me to believe in this doe-eyed good-boy image you've been selling everyone and I'm sick of it, Chris. I'm done." 

"You're done?" he guffaws at that, "Done with what?"

"Us." 

He falls silent at that, his eyes widening at her in surprise.

"Amy...are you breaking up with me?" his voice is thick with suspense.

She takes a deep breath and feels her throat lock up immediately, her chest rising up and down with each breath.

"I can't do this anymore, Chris." the tears slide down her face hot and furious, "I love you and you knew that and took advantage of it and...I just can't do it anymore. I'm tired, Chris." 

"Ames, baby-"

"No." she insists strongly, taking a back step away, "You can't keep doing this to me, Chris. I can't keep doing this. I'm sorry." she shakes her head slowly.

She was prepared to be a goddamn mess during this, it was hard. 

But what she wasn't expecting was for Chris to sink to his knees and takes her hands with his and give her the most pleading eyes she's ever seen in her entire life.

"Ames, baby. You didn't fucking deserve any of that, believe me." he insists strongly, "I need you and Meags and the baby or else I'll fucking die, you know that you two are the only things that matter to me in this world."

She's never seen him cry before.

Sure, she's seen a few tears in his eyes here and there but now, he's full-on sobbing like a fucking mess and he's clinging onto her body so tight, her baby-bump feels slightly suffocated.

Over his sobs and pleads, she can barely make out him apologizing to her about everything he's ever done to her in the span of their relationship and begging with every inch of his being that she forgives him for the sake of them and the baby.

"I'm not perfect, baby, and I'm sorry, okay?"

"I don't want you to be perfect." she feels her throat threatening to close up again.

"Please don't leave me." he pleads against her stomach, "I will fucking kill myself."

Then she's breaking down into tears. 

This isn't what she planned.

This isn't what she expected to happen.

She came in the room to break up with him as calmly as possible but instead, it's faced with her dealing with the effects of her not being able to get over him the way she needs to be able to.

Her hand grabs Chris' and she releases a shaky breath she didn't even know she was still holding in.

"I don't want you to kill yourself." the tears stream down her face.

"I don't want to lose you, Ames." he sobs against her.

She's not sure what to do. 

Before all of this, she and Michelle had talked about how she would go through with all of this; breakup with Chris, get his shit out of the house, get into contact with Kyle Wescott and after all of that, just let Amy focus on work.

But now, this is all screwing with her brain.

She loves Chris but how much does she love him?

"You won't." the words leave Amy's mouth before she has a chance to realize what she's saying, "...you haven't lost me."

It's sad because it's true.

* * *

_ Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake have reportedly welcomed their first child today. _

Cosmopolitan

_ Brookheimer and Blake welcomed a son at MedStar Washington Hospital Center overnight. _

CBS News

_ Greyson Owen Blake has arrived! Check out the sweet photos from Chris Blake’s Instagram! _

Life & Style

_ President Ryan, Kemi Talbot, Danny Chung, and others congratulate Brookheimer on the recent addition to her family. _

The New York Times

_ Chris Blake’s publicist just confirmed that Chris and Amy are still engaged after a false report of the two splitting up was released to the public. _

Vox

_ Chris Blake gifted Amy Brookheimer a $1432 necklace because she gave birth and I’ve never been more jealous. _

Buzzfeed

_ “The two of them are completely in love and infatuated with their son, they’re eager to start this new phase of their lives with their baby.” a source close to Amy Brookheimer speaks out for the first time since she’s given birth. _

NPR

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment!
> 
> It's greatly appreciated and heavily encouraged!


	12. A Song For You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “If you were doing this for the kids then you would’ve asked Meagan how she felt about all of this considering the fact that she and Dan actually have a good relationship now.”
> 
> It was no secret that Chris was sour towards Dan’s relationship with Meagan. Since Chris had been a more active figure in Meagan’s life, it was only natural that he felt a sense of protectiveness of her but now, with Dan in the picture, it was only a matter of time for Chris to try and solidify his status as the ‘Top Dog’ in their family.
> 
> And yes, in the bedroom, Chris can take that position all he fucking likes but as far as Amy’s concerned, in all other aspects, she’s the one running shit, not Chris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for every single one of you who continue to support this story!
> 
> I would genuinely have no story without ANY of you and for that, I will forever be grateful for every single one of youuuuu!
> 
> Make sure to leave a comment at the end of the chapter, letting me know what you're thinking of the story so far! I love hearing what you guys are thinking about the story!

> _I know your image of me is what I hoped to be_
> 
>   
>  _I treated you unkindly_
> 
>   
>  _But darling can't you see_
> 
>   
>  _There's no one more important to me_
> 
> _\- 'a song for you' by donny hathaway_

* * *

 

The minute he hears that Amy had the baby...a month early....it's like his whole world comes caving in.

It fucking sucks because not only does it happen unannounced a _month_ early but also because things were surprisingly going well for him.

He was back to his fighting weight, sleeping with all kinds of women, fielding offers for some long-standing TV commentating positions, he and Amy were on surprisingly okay terms and his relationship with Meagan was surprisingly going well.

He always knew that fatherhood wasn't for him by any means. But when you have a kid as kick-ass, hilarious, witty and brilliant as his...he'll happily slap the _'Hello My Name is Meagan's Dad_ ' nametag on his chest any day of the week.

(Well, if he could he would do it but with Amy's neurotic ass, he can't even post Instagram photos of his daughter on his social media accounts because of it.)

Besides that, he's surprised by how much he actually enjoys spending time with the kid. 

He's not one of those doting parents who cater to the girl's every whim the moment she demands something but, he actually enjoys and looks forward to spending time with the girl (Well, whenever she wasn't out of the house and actually spending time him).

He had gotten so caught up with actually enjoying his time with Meags that the idea of leaving her now just seems inexcusable. Believe it or not, he likes being a father to his clone of a daughter, it's like it's given him purpose or some beautiful paternal feelings shit.

There were several times when he could've distanced himself from the girl; show no interest, keep his distance or even just straight up ignore her but, he doesn't do any of that.

He definitely should've though.

Chris is crazy as fuck and from the way, he possessively talks about Amy in every other interview he manages to snag proves to him just how far that fucker is willing to go to keep Amy on his dick and it bothers him so fucking much.

Yes, if he and Amy were ever together in that way, he'd definitely want the whole world to know that she's his but, Dan certainly wouldn't go around threatening people with Glocks in private gyms to keep their goddamn hands to themselves.

He's crazy but he knows damn well that he isn't _that_ crazy.

After his run, he forces himself in the shower to wash off the sweat, rain, and stress from his body just to get some much-needed energy to get through the day.

Meagan's been so weird about going over to Amy and Chris' house lately that for a minute, he has trouble settling on how to break the news to her about Amy giving birth.

According to Amy, all Meagan does is lock herself in her bedroom and refuses to talk to both she and Chris until it's time for her to come back to his house.

Usually, he'd feel smug about this; the fact that his kid enjoyed his company more than both Amy and Chris' but, he knew deep down that it fucked with Amy and that she was searching for the reason behind Meagan's weird behavior.

"Meags?" he flips on her lights and gently taps her shoulder as she snores in a deep slumber.

No response.

"Meags, wake up." 

There's a small whimper as she rolls away from Dan onto her side with a frown stretching on her lips.

"I'm _sleeping,"_ she mumbles out sleepily

"You need to get up. Your Mom had the baby today and I have to take you to go see her." he pats her shoulder encouragingly, "Now get up so you can get some Breakfast and we can go."

"I'm not going." 

Jesus.

"Meagan now's not the time. Get up so we can go." 

"I'm _not_ going." she insists again, her eyes still shut.

"And why the hell not?" 

She groans and flops onto her other side, her blonde hair shielding her face like a curtain.

"Because I don't want to see her." 

He rolls his eyes.

"Well she wants to see you." he stands from the bed, "..now get up, I'm not telling you again."

"I'd rather go to school than see her and this future latchkey kid." her eyes squint at the soft lighting of her room as her eyes focus in on Dan.

Sure, he knew that teenage girls and their moms had a weird-ass dynamic. Lord knows how many times he had to watch his sister and Mom go at it over a pair of fucking heels that wasn't even either of theirs (It turned out to be his Dad's mistresses shoes). He had seen it time and time again from fucking Sophie to even goddamn Catherine (Although he'll argue that Selina was in the wrong for about 85% of her interactions with Catherine).

But to see it in his own daughter?

He didn't like it.

He didn't like it for one bit.

He respects Amy because she works hard for herself and for Meagan. If he's found himself exhausted from only eight months of solid, committed parenting, he just _knows_ that Amy is fucking dead in the soul compared to him.

 _"Meagan."_ he groans out, his hands flying to his hips, "You're being ridiculous. You haven't seen your Mom in two weeks and she's asking for you to just show up for her, just this once. No will you please get your angry ass out of bed, put on some clothes, eat some breakfast and get ready to go to the hospital."

She jolts upright at that, ready to challenge him the way only she can.

"What's your deal? It's not like you want to go either. And telling my school _'Sorry, my mom and her boyfriend just had their publicity baby, I can't come in today'!_ won't fly as a valid excuse for absence and we both know it." she shoots him an intense 'get-real' look.

The problem is that she's got a point.

And she knows she has a point.

God, only his fucking kid.

"Obviously I'm not thrilled and there are a million things I'd rather be doing but, the woman is in pain and is asking for this _one_ thing so put on your clothes and suck it up because you're going."

She folds her arms over her chest and rolls her eyes disgustingly at him.

 _"Make me."_ she challenges him, her voice not showing an ounce of fear or concern whatsoever.

That's it.

He wastes no time in making his way over to Meagan's bed and practically lifting her out of the bed bridal style and dumping her on her feet in her bathroom as she practically squirms and fights against him, swearing all kinds of obscenities at him.

"Get dressed, _now,_ " he orders her one last time and immediately receives a push backward and a door slammed right in his face.

And it's only 7:34 for fuck's sake.

* * *

_Inside Greyson Blake's Race-Car Inspired Nursery! Chris Blake takes us on an EXCLUSIVE tour [Gallery]_

People

_ President Ryan and First Lady, Beth Ryan arrive at MedStar Washington Hospital Center to visit Amy Brookheimer [Photos] _

Huffington Post

_ "Their relationship is at it's best right now." Parker Blake speaks about Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake's relationship _

Vox

_ Is Amy Brookheimer too old to be a mother? [Poll] _

Fox News

_ "It's gonna be f****** lit, guys." President Ryan promises a night full of fun, surprises, and lots of drinking at the upcoming Congressional Ball. _

Daily Mail

_ Heir to the throne? With Greyson Blake joining the Blake-Hefner pool, a source close to the family reveals that little Greyson could inherit at least TWO MILLION BUCKAROOS before his sixteenth birthday! Click here to find out how! _

TMZ

_ The son of Presidental Chief of Staff, Amy Brookheimer and former Presidental Media Consultant, Chris Blake was released from the NICU an hour ago and he's doing well according to his Doctors! _

Politico

* * *

They’ve been home for a good two weeks and she already wants to kill herself.

Maternity leave is boring as all hell, Greyson demands a feeding every other minute, Chris is hovering over her 24/7, Meagan hasn’t even met Greyson yet and she has a bad bout of Mastitis which means her tits are starting to feel like overstuffed plastic bags filled with hot lard and it’s painful as all hell.

Even though it’s her job to help everyone advert their own personal and public crises, helping someone that isn’t herself or even Greyson is the least of her worries right about now. 

Yes, Greyson is demanding as hell but, she knows what it is he wants and he can’t talk yet...so she’s fine with him.

“Hi, beautiful.” Chris enters the nursery, fresh from wherever the hell he’s been and presses a kiss on the crown of her head.

 _“Hi.”_ she mumbles unimpressed, continuing to scroll on her IPad as Greyson lies next to her, wide awake on his pillow bed.

“And there’s my handsome little fella!” Chris cranes his neck down and presses a kiss on the crown of Grey’s head, using his fingers to tickle the baby’s stomach, “DId you miss Daddy?”

No, not exactly.

Greyson releases a small whimper, his little fingers reaching out for Chris’ finger to tug on (His favorite activity lately) and Amy sighs to herself.

“Chris, I just fed him. Will you please just cool with the theatrics?” she doesn’t bother looking up from her tablet.

He snorts at her, “I haven’t seen him all day, Ames.”

“You get him excited and I need him to go to sleep. Unless you’re about to rock him to sleep or sing him a lullaby you should just leave us be for a minute.”

He mumbles something incoherent under his breath as he leans forward and lifts Greyson into his arms, grabbing a bottle Amy had just pumped into and making his way over to the opposing couch.

“I’ll rock him to sleep but I have something I need to talk to you about.” he takes a seat.

God, what now?

“Can it wait?” Amy looks up from the tablet, “...I’m trying to handle this shit for the Congressional Ball and Christmas shopping all at the same time.”

There’s a moment of silence.

“I got the house.”

Fuck, not this.

Recently, Chris’ godbrother, David Hefner,  was made the official owner of the Playboy Mansion since his father, Hugh had passed away ages ago but, David had made the executive decision to step down from the company and pass the house to the next person on the list…

Enter Chris.

She understands that it’s a historic house, she really does but, she doesn’t like the idea of Chris having that gigantic ass house when lord knows what has been there. That house alone is the reason why she’s dealing with an egotistical, horny, handsome prick like himself and she’s not grateful for it by any means.

“Okay, and?” she blinks at him, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Chris continues to rock Greyson gently, his eyes falling on Amy ever so slightly.

“I think we should move in.”

Come again?

“Move in where?” she questions for clarification because she hopes he’s not implying what she’s certain he’s alluding to.

“The mansion.”

Yeah, he’s lost his goddamn mind.

“Are you fucking insane?” she keeps her voice slow, cautious of Greyson who sits right across from her on the opposing couch with Chris.

He looks at her lie she’s fucking insane. 

“I’m not.” he snorts, “Just think of it. You, Me, Meags and Grey all together in the big, beautiful house...imagine all of the shit we’d have access to us.”

As beautiful as the house might be, the idea of her newborn son and teenage daughter residing in a house where a greying old man would have reckless orgies all over the goddamn place scares her shitless and it’s not exactly the future she had in mind for her kids.

“Chris ...that sounds ridiculous. I can understand you keeping the house for business and only business but not as a house I want to raise the kids.”

“You’re being overdramatic, Ames.”

_ “How? _ ” she can’t even hold back her laughter of disbelief, “How am I being ridiculous?”

“You’re bothered by the fact that people...had  _ parties  _ in the house when we’ve had several  _ parties _ of our own on every square inch of this house more than once,” he smirks at her.

“This is my house.” she puts a hand on her chest, “Random strangers haven’t had orgy parties here while I lived here and I feel safer with that versus the mansion.”

“I’m ninety-five percent positive this is the room we sixty-nined and used handcuffs in, Mother Teresa.”

Jesus Christ.

“Do you have to say that in front of him?” she points a finger at Greyson, standing up and lifting him from Chris’ grasp without a second thought.

“He doesn’t even know what we’re talking about.” Chris insists

“I know that but that doesn’t mean you should walk around here and talking about our sexcapades in front of our two-week-old baby.” she scolds him over the shoulder.

“Look. After Jonah’s term is over then we’ll really have time to spend together and live our lives the way we’ve always wanted to. Staying out here in DC won’t allow us to grow.”

She’s not some out of college yuppie whose needing to ‘find’ herself, she knows  _ exactly _ who she is and she’s quite content with it considering the fact that it took her a while to get to this point in her life.

“I do want to move but I don’t know if Los Angeles is somewhere I even want to move to.” she shrugs her shoulders, “I feel like that’s something we should’ve discussed together if anything.”

“I made these plans to move so you wouldn’t have to worry about it since you’re so busy with work and the kids.”

“What was your plan then?” she throws a free hand in the air as she focuses on getting Greyson settled into his crib, “Enlighten me.”

Chris crosses his legs as he leans back on the couch, stroking his chin.

“You turn in your resignation letter, we pack up the house, forward the boxes to LA, hire a team of movers to move everything in, have the interior designing team who did my house do that house then we eventually all fly out there just in time for Christmas.” 

All of that sounded really time-consuming and really overwhelming.

Even though she had Greyson two weeks ago, it only felt like a good three days ago and she can still feel the pain in her lower abdomen every time she breathes. 

“I don’t want Grey flying until February at the earliest.”

 _“February?”_ Chris leans forward with wide eyes, “That’s in two goddamn months, Ames.”

Greyson wails gently at that, his dark eyes rounding in worry.

“He was born a  _ month _ early with weak lungs, Chris. I don’t want to take any chances.” she puts a free hand on her hip and looks him up and down in disgust because she genuinely just doesn’t understand how he can think about moving into a new house at a time like this.

“You’re acting like I’m doing this to benefit myself.” he extends a hand in the air, “I’m doing this for you and the kids.”

“If you were doing this for the kids then you would’ve asked Meagan how she felt about all of this considering the fact that she and Dan actually have a good relationship now.”

It was no secret that Chris was sour towards Dan’s relationship with Meagan. Since Chris had been a more active figure in Meagan’s life, it was only natural that he felt a sense of protectiveness of her but now, with Dan in the picture, it was only a matter of time for Chris to try and solidify his status as the ‘Top Dog’ in their family.

And yes, in the bedroom, Chris can take that position all he fucking likes but as far as Amy’s concerned, in all other aspects,  she’s the one running shit, not Chris.

“Meags wants to move to LA.” he tilts his chin up to her as she rearranges Greyson in the crib to her satisfaction, “..and I don’t blame her, I’d move halfway across the country to get away from that shitsack she calls a father.”

She whips her head around and narrows her eyes at him threateningly.

“Watch your fucking self,” she warns him.

He stands to his feet and makes his way over to the crib, approaching her front with his eyes weighing heavy on her.

“If you want to sit here and be ungrateful over the fact that I’m sitting here on my ass trying to help all of us then so fucking be it but don’t you dare for a second sit here and act like he’s better than me.”

She throws her head back in a groan, removing her hand from the crib and placing it on her hip. 

“Why are you so hellbent on proving that you’re better than him? This isn’t a goddamn competition, Chris.”

He opens his mouth to speak but Greyson releases a tiny whimper and something flickers in his eyes.

“Nevermind.” he gives a deep sigh, “Fucking forget it.” he steps past Amy and cranes his neck down to place a kiss on the crown of the child’s head.

How did she have a fucking baby and he’s the more emotional one out of the two of them?

She watches as he pushes past her and disappears into the hallway, his heavy footsteps stomping out of the nursery.

She really should be mature about all of this and follow him so they can sit down like actual fucking adults and talk about all of this.

But, she’s tired as shit and needed a nap.

So….she curls up on the couch, shuts off her IPad and takes a nap.

Because she fucking deserves it at this point. 

* * *

 

There’s a knock on his door in the middle of the night.

Thanks to the cornucopia of events that was going on around him from his fucking family to Chris threatening him every other event, it was hard to go the fuck to sleep and forget everything.

Since it’s about 1:30 in the morning, he figures that it’s probably just one of his occasional hookups (either Whitney or Katelynn) stopping by to offer some late-night entertainment which would be a fucking delight because at least it’s something to get his mind off of his shit for a minute.

Instead of a hot red-head or brunette, he’s met with two teenage boys and to say that he’s disappointed is a fucking understatement.

“Can I help you?” he raises an eyebrow at the two boys with disheveled hair and disheveled clothing.

“Hi Mr. Egan, we realize that this is a terrible hour and we normally wouldn’t come to you for this-”

“Save it, kids, I don’t have any condoms or booze to lend you. Now head home before your Moms file missing person reports and are sobbing on CNN.”

“It’s me, Mr. Egan.” the caramel hair boy speaks up, “Michelle York and Tom James’ son? Noah.”

Oh, no wonder the kid looked familiar. 

_ “Okay…? _ Who’s your friend here?” he turns his body towards the blonde boy whose wearing a red Polo tee, black jeans and a goddamn thin gold chain for fuck's sake. 

(And thank god he never had a son because he’d fucking kill himself if his son ever wore a goddamn gold chain)

“I’m Josh.”

Okay, and?

_ “Okay?” _

The kid’s soft features fall at that as he nervously swallows in confusion, throwing a frantic look over his shoulder.

“I’m Meagan’s boyfriend. We met at Mr. Blake’s party a few months back?” he offers and instead of seeing his face Dan sees absolutely nothing because oh yeah, he was socked in the fucking face into a coma at the party.

But he never knew Meagan had a boyfriend.

(Okay, she’s most likely mentioned it by now considering the amount of time they spend together but it’s not like Dan was ever really interested in what she was saying, he was too busy trying to impress her into liking him to care about anything else.)

Then it hits him.

_ “Wait. _ Where the fuck is Meagan at?” the concern crashes into him like a fucking wave, his mind well beyond frantic now.

“That’s why we’re here…” Noah jumps back in before Dan has a chance to confront the living shit out of Chain-Boy, “We had a little bit of a... _ problem.” _

_ “Problem?” _ his hands are on his hips now, he’s furious, “What fucking problem?”

Noah sputters as (Josh? Or was it Jason?) clears his throat and speaks up.

“We were at a party and Meags had a little too much to um,  _ drink  _ and she’s in really bad shape and the cops came out to stop the party and we got out of there before anything else could happen.”

Meagan?  _ Drinking?  _

“She was drinking?” Dan doesn’t even bother hiding the anger in his voice at this point, “Where the fuck is she?” he demands, stepping out of his door and looking around the hallways frantically.

The minute the boys open their mouths to speak, the elevator arrives at the floor and the distinct chime is sent throughout the floor which spikes Dan’s blood with newfound energy.

There’s a pair of heavy footsteps approaching the corner and after what seems like the longest few seconds of his life he sees them.

It’s Noelle (Sue and Kent's kid )and Michelle with their arms around Meagan, supporting her body up as they struggle to make their way to Dan’s doorstep.

“Fucking hell.” he mutters under his breath as he pushes past the boys and meets them halfway, his heart racing a million miles a minute, “What happened?”

“Why am I  _ hereeee?”  _ Meagan drunkenly wines as Michelle manages to maneuver her into Dan’s arms.

“You’re drunk, Meagan. You need to go to sleep.” Michelle informs her as Dan manages to catch her after she twists her ankle and is a second away from landing on the ground.

Meagan groans at that, putting a finger to her lips.

“I’m _ fineee. _ ” she insists, her blonde hair acting as a curtain in her face, “You guys are all so  _ fucking _ dramatic.” she throws a weak hand in the air.

Great, she’s a headstrong drunk like Amy ...this should be fun.

“How many drinks did she have?” Dan lifts the girl into his arms, giving up on keeping her body up-straight.

“She drank a whole bottle of Vodka,” Noelle informs him, tucking a strand of her curly hair behind her ear as Michelle leans forward and helps pull down the skirt of Meagan’s leopard spaghetti strap dress.

Why the fuck was his underaged daughter flaunting around in leopard dresses with an underage boy drinking goddamn Vodkas by the bottle?

_ “Vodka..”  _ Meagan sings underneath her breath as she wraps an arm around Dan’s neck, snuggling into his body closer. 

“Fuck, dammit.” he forgets they’re in the hallway of his Penthouse for a minute and swipes a look around to make sure there’s no one listening in on them, “Come in.  _ Now _ .” he directs the whole group in upon giving up on trying to keep this situation under control.

There’s the hassle of getting all of the kids and Michelle into the house, dropping them into the living room to wait while he busies himself with heaving Meagan up the wire stairs of the house and into her designated bedroom.

When he dumps Meagan on her bed, he looks around the room in search of a bucket (In case she pukes because Dan will  _ not _ be the janitor of his kid’s shits and pukes if he can help it).

“Where am I?” she sits up in the bed, a distinct frown coming onto her face.

_ “Home.” _ Dan grits out, so unbearably angry with this whole situation.

She groans at that, throwing a pillow against the opposing wall.

“I _wanna_ go back to the party,” she whines much like a toddler who’s not getting her way.

“Too bad, now lay down.”

“You’re such a buzzkill.” she groans with a pout, “No wonder Mom’s still with that prick, at least  _ he _ has fun.”

He’s too angry to even get into this with her right now. It’s weird because taking care of a drunk Meagan is exactly like taking care of a drunk Amy and at the rate of his patience, he doesn’t know how to handle it.

(He really doesn’t know how to handle it because Amy isn’t his underaged teenage daughter while Meagan certainly is.)

“Nevermind that.” he rolls his eyes and places the trashcan right next to her bed the minute he locates it, “Now whose party did you go to?”

Meagan plays with her hair.

“Why? You wanna know so you can find out how it’ll benefit your wannabe-tv anchor dreams?”

Jesus.

_ “Meagan.” _ he repeats himself, taking a seat on the bed, “Whose party did you go to?”

She sighs and for the first time in the past few minutes, she finally opens his eyes to him, her eyes squinting at the bright rose gold lighting of her room.

“It was at Cayla Carusso’s house…” she informs him with an annoyed look on her face, “..and it’s no big deal, plenty of people drink at those kinds of things.”

“Well you’re not everybody, okay? I’m going to spare you the _‘You fucked up’_ lecture tomorrow after your hangover because you managed to fuck up my night with this bullshit. Now go to sleep and we’ll talk in the morning.” he stands off the bed.

Her eyes going wide, Meagan rolls over onto her side as Dan drapes a blanket over her body.

He goes to turn away and he hears her small voice again.

“Goodnight, Dad.”

It's the first time she’s ever called him and he’s touched in an odd way. It’s a weird situation with everything going on around them but, he’ll take it nonetheless.

“Night, kid.” he flips off the light-switch and shuts the door behind him.

The minute he gets to his living room downstairs, he’s now met with the three teenagers sitting in silence on his couch as Michelle paces back and forth on the phone with a finger to her ear. 

“Alright, whose fucking party was it?”

The kids all exchange a look as they bite on their bottom lips nervously and Dan takes it as the opportunity to stand in the middle of the room, his arms folded directly over his chest.

“Meagan threw the party.” the blonde boy speaks out, “She threw the party at Chris’ house on Mcgill Terrace.”

Fuck.

“Where the fuck was Amy and Chris at?” he turns to Michelle for answers who removes the finger from her ear.

“Hell if I know, they called me when the police were called to the house.” Michelle uses her index finger to point at the kids on the couch.

“The police were called?” Dan’s head whips accusingly towards the startled teenagers. 

Michelle nods and returns her attention to her phone call, turning away from the group and pacing around mindlessly.

“One of the neighbors called the police so they could come and break up the party,” Noelle informs him, rubbing her hand up and down her arm.

For fuck’s sake.

“And where the hell are your parents may I ask?” he turns towards Noelle, “Something tells me that neither Kent Davison or Sue Wilson would approve of their underaged daughter dressed in a paper-thin dress drinking the night away at a party.”

Noelle crinkles her nose at Dan in a true Sue Wilson manner.

“My parents were at the Opera tonight.” she informs him snootily, “Also, I didn’t even drink. I was too busy trying to make sure Meagan didn’t flash anyone the whole night.”

Jesus, only his fucking kid. 

“What about you, Romeo?” he turns towards the blonde boy accusingly, “You and my daughter drink yourselves into oblivion tonight?”

His eyes widen in fear and his body shakes furiously.

“No, Sir. Never”  his voice is frantic, “I watched her the whole night with Noelle to make sure that she didn’t fly off the handle.”

“Well, you didn’t do too hot of a job tonight, kid.” Dan rolls his eyes, pacing in front of the kids who stare at him in confusion.

He knew that kids partied and typically drank at said parties, he’s not an idiot. He’s been to plenty of social events in High School where everyone was drinking just to do it. Even though he knew it was a social norm, something didn’t sit right with him knowing that his own fucking kid was responsible for it.

There’s another knock at the door.

“For fuck's sake! Who else is at the door?” he blows the air out of his cheeks, throwing his hands in the air with a defeated groan, “Any other political has-been kids about to walk through the goddamn door?” he pointed a thumb towards the front door.

The kids all nervously shake their heads.

At this point, if one more potentially intoxicated kid stumbles into his goddamn apartment, he’s going to shoot somebody.

And the somebody being himself before fucking Amy finds out about all of this.

Fuck.

He forgot all about Amy.

Amy hasn’t seen Meagan in a good two weeks because of the baby, some work shit and Meagan’s demands of staying with him 24/7 so he knows that she’s losing her shit over not seeing her kid.

Dan knows that if Amy were to ever catch wind of any of this...she’d have him murdered and most likely let Chris ass do the honors while Amy held him down.

He makes his way to the front door, not even knowing who to expect at this point because it’s well-beyond everyone’s fucking bedtimes and they’re past midnight at this point which limits potential visitors to a short list of maybe one or two people.

But when he opens the door, it’s not who he would have expected it to be.

It’s two Police Officers who mean business and Dan’s heart fucking drops.

“Daniel Egan?” a tall, female officer with tan-skin asks him.

“That’s me.” he looks the two Officers up and down in confusion, “May I help you?”

“We’re looking for your daughter, Meagan Brookheimer. Do you have any idea where she might be?” the male, dark-skinned officer speaks up, his hand resting on the pocket of his dark-blue trousers.

Fuck, this isn’t good.

He looks over his shoulder and sees Michelle staring at the scene in front of her with round eyes while the kids all sit in the living room with looks of fear apparent of their faces.

“She’s...she’s upstairs... _ asleep.”  _ he feigns nervously, taking the time to adjust the glasses on his nose, “Can I help you two with anything.” 

The two Officers exchange a knowing look.

“We need to come inside, Sir.” the woman with the name-tag ‘Officer Lilliard’ extends her hand outward, making her way through the doorway while the man with the name-tag reading ‘Officer Witham’ steps in after her, closing the door shut behind him.

He trails after the two Officers as they make their way into the living room, keeping their eyes on the three teenagers who sit on Dad's couch in completely, fearful silence.

“Where is she?” Officer Witham turns towards Dan.

“Upstairs.” Dan repeats himself and turns to face both of the Officers, “I’m sure whatever she did was minimal and deserves a slap on the wrist, something that I’ll happily give her now if you could please make your way-”

“Bring her down.” Officer Lillard interrupts him.

“Excuse me?” his mind goes into a panic.

“Either you bring her down or we go and get her.” Officer Witham looks up from his notepad, giving Dan a stern look.

He was trying to be a good Dad and fucking stall for his kid but, he’s not in the mood to deal with the repercussions of trying to be a good Dad so, he just obliges and asks Michelle if she could go up and get Meagan from her room.

It takes painfully long for Michelle to wake Meagan up and bring her down to the living room and the police use it to their full advantage because they spend time interrogating the kids on the couch and making them all do a Breathalyzer test.

Luckily for them, it doesn’t detect any alcohol.

Then Meagan comes down and...it gets worse.

Her hair is a mane of frizz and untamed curls, her makeup is practically stained to her soft face and her leopard dress is twisted with all kinds of wrinkles.

 _“Hi…?”_ Meagan rubs her arm nervously as she steps off the bottom staircase with Michelle right behind her, making sure she doesn’t fall.

“Meagan. There was reportedly a party thrown at your Stepfather’s residence. Would you have any idea about that?” 

Her eyes round in bewilderment.

The room goes silent as they all watch Meagan look around the room for a possible out of this conversation.

“No. Not really.”

“You’re dressed up pretty nicely for a regular day. Go anywhere specific today?” Witham takes a step towards Meagan and the teenage girl practically shrinks in fear.

“A _wedding…?_ ” Meagan offers.

“Young lady, do not lie to us. You’ll get into more trouble doing that on top of what you’ve done already.” 

God, this was awful.

Dan’s not exactly a fan with dealing with the police himself but, if he had to do it versus Meagan having to do it...he’d happily do it any day of the week (with hesitations of course).

“I haven’t done anything.” Meagan feigns with a small voice that indicates she’s a breath away from breaking down into a pool of tears.

Then they take a Breathalyzer test…

And the results come back to reveal that Meagan has a BAC of 0.19% and everything after that is a goddamn blur if he’s ever experienced one.

“Meagan Brookheimer, you have the right to remain silent-”

“Whoa, hold on a second!” Dan intervenes, putting himself in front of Officer Lillard as Officer Witham pulls out the silver handcuffs and places them around Meagan’s wrists behind her back, “You can’t arrest her.” 

“We found traces of Cocaine, Liquor, and Marijuana all outside of the house. Not to mention the fact that her BAC is well above the Adult standard when she’s very much so underage.” Officer Lillard informs him

“I didn’t do anything.” Meagan breaks into tears, her chest heaving up and down, “I  _ swear.”  _

“From here on out, anything you do or say can be used against you in the court of law….” 

“She’s fifteen, are the handcuffs necessary?” Michelle protests, her voice defiant at the Officers who continue their whole song and dance of arresting an individual.

“Ow! That fucking hurts.” Meagan screams out as the Officers practically drag her out of the apartment, leaving the group in shock at the scene playing in front of them, “Dad. Dad don’t let them take me, _please_ , I didn’t do anything.”

It’s the first time he’s ever seen Meagan reach out for him like this. Crying for him like he’s some goddamn Superhero and can save the day. 

He knows it’ll take a miracle to stop all of this from happening and he can’t pull a miracle out of his ass, but he can try something.

That’s his fucking kid out there and she needs him.

He wastes no time in sprinting after them, catching up to them as they wait for the elevator. 

“You don’t have to take her. I’ll pay her bail right here,  _ please. _ .just  _ don’t  _ fucking take her, she’s only a kid.” he pleads with them, his body falling victim to the fatigue.

“You can go to the station and see if bail is even offered for her.” Witham suggests, “But she has to come with us now, Mr. Egan.”

“Get off of me!” Meagan cries out in pain as the doors open and the cops practically manhandle her into stepping on the elevator, “I didn’t do anything.” she insists strongly.

_ “Meags.” _ his voice is panicked, “Don’t say anything else, okay? I’m gonna follow you to the station and I’m going to get you out of here, I promise. Don’t worry, honey. You're going to be okay.” 

“Nod if you understand me.”

She musters out a weak nod, the tears dripping on the silky material of her dress.

“Okay, I’ll see you at the station. Don’t worry, I’m right behind you, kid.” 

Then the elevator doors close.

And she’s gone, just like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment and or kudos!
> 
> It's both heavily encouraged and greatly appreciated!


	13. Do I Believe in God? Do I Believe In Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shitty people deserve shitty things to happen to them.
> 
> Not Amy.
> 
> She didn’t deserve any of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow!
> 
> It's such an amazing and humbling experience writing this story week after week! the support you guys give me is absolutely AMAZING and for that, I am forever grateful for every single one of you.
> 
> The fact that this story has 2,438 reads is absolutely MIND-BLOWING to me! I can honestly say and admit right now that this story wouldn't be anything with you guys and your amazing support!
> 
> Thank you so much for the excitement and love you pour into every single chapter! It means the world to me!
> 
> Make sure to leave a comment at the end of the chapter, letting me know what you're thinking of the story so far! I love hearing what you guys are thinking about the story!

> _I can't understand human curiosity_
> 
> _Controversy_
> 
> _Was it good for you, was I what you wanted me to be?_
> 
> _Controversy_
> 
> _Do you get high, does your daddy cry?_
> 
> _Controversy_
> 
> _\- Prince 'Controversy'_

* * *

 

“I’m here for my daughter, Meagan Brookheimer?” Dan approaches the desk set in the main lobby of the Metropolitan Police Department Center.

The orange-haired woman behind the desk looks him up in down in confusion, her squinty eyes doing a look-over his body.

He’s stressed because his kid is in a fucking holding cell for god knows what and he now has to deal with fucking Carrot Top’s sister to try and get to his fucking kid when it shouldn’t be that fucking hard. 

“Your daughter?” Carrot Top frowns at him.

“Yes, my daughter. They brought her in not even thirty minutes ago, she should fucking be here by now.” he offers, moving his eyes around the somewhat crowded waiting area and halls of the department. 

Carrot Top looks at her computer monitor and back up to Dan.

“What was her name again?” 

 _“Meagan._ Meagan Brookheimer,” he repeats himself, “Now can you please just tell me how much the bail was set at so I can get her out of here.”

The woman types rapidly at her keyboard, peering over the frame of her thick black glasses as Dan works on fishing his wallet out of his back pocket at quickly as possible.

She scrolls then types and pauses to take a good look at Dan’s face.

“Bail hasn’t been set yet.”

For fuck's sake.

“ _What?!”_ He lurches forward, “She got here 30 minutes ago _and_ she’s only fifteen, she should be in a holding cell or some shit by now.”

“She’s here at the station but, bail hasn’t been set yet. She still has steps to go through.”

“Again, she’s _fifteen,_  not on fucking Death Row or some obscene shit. She should be ready by now.”

Carrot Top removes her fingers from the keyboard and leaned back in her seat, picking up her poorly painted mug.

“You do know why she was arrested, right?”

“She had a drink or two, big fucking deal. No reason for her to be doing some goddamn line-up.”

Carrot Top shakes her head, peering at the screen.

“Upon arrival, your daughter took a drug and alcohol test. According to the results here, she had traces of both Marijuana and Cocaine in her system along with Alcohol. You’ll be lucky if she even gets bail within the next two hours.” 

This isn’t apart of the plan.

His plan was to retrieve Meagan as quickly as possible before Amy called him and demanded to know what’s wrong, get her back to his apartment to help her sober up and then approach Amy as calmly as possible to inform her of what happened. 

And there’s no way to execute the plan when the plan itself is being pushed two hours back.

In about two hours, it’ll be almost three in the morning and since they’re running the risk of Chris being addicted to fucking social media and Greyson possibly waking up for a feeding at any second, he’s short on time. 

“What part of the process is she on now?” he tries.

“She should be getting questioned right about now; telling the Police where she got the drugs and alcohol, why she used the drugs and alcohol and so on and so forth.” 

He groans at that.

“I need to be in there while she gets questioned.” he jumps in defense, “Where do I go?” 

Carrot Top’s thin lips stretch into an amusing smile, “Daddy’s aren’t Lawyers.” she shakes her head, “Now until she’s ready, I suggest you sit in the waiting area and wait for her bail to be posted but I’d get comfortable if I were you. You could be here for a while.” 

God Dammit.

“Fine.” he huffs out, making his way over to the somewhat empty waiting room area and throws himself into a seat in the front row, his elbows resting on his knees.

Dan doesn’t pray.

Or well, he doesn’t pray anymore. 

But, that doesn’t stop him from sending a desperate plead up to whatever fucking God is up there to get his kid out of the fucking hell-hole she’s being stranded in right about now. 

Watching those fucking cops get handsy with his daughter fucking infuriated him. 

It was one thing to see it on some drunk asshole at a bar but it’s another to see it on his own flesh and blood. 

On the opposing side of the room, the swinging doors are practically kicked open and whip into its respective walls with a loud bang. 

When he looks over to located just who the fuck is making a WWE wrestled type entrance at one in the fucking morning, he isn’t even shocked at this point.

Only a true asshole would use this moment as an Ego-Trip.

“Hello, I’m here to pick up my daughter Meagan.” Chris approaches Carrot Top’s desk with a low and husky voice as his pair of goons followed closely behind him.

From the look on her face, Carrot Top is a cough away from blowing her wad in her fucking granny panties and it further infuriates Dan.

“Mr. Blake..it’s an honor.” she extends her hand out for Chris to shake, “I was just reading that spread you did for Greyson’s nursery. It was so beautiful.” 

“Thank you.” Chris gives a modest smile, “..if you don’t mind though, I’m here to pick up my daughter. Do you think you can help me with that?”

“Of course!” Carrot Top leaps at the opportunity, “What was her name again, Morgan?”

 _“Meagan.”_ Chris corrects her, “Meagan Brookheimer.” 

For a minute, as Carrot Top is typing away at her keyboard as if her life depends on it, Dan is seriously questioning his options to just grab Meagan and run like hell. 

But the minute he braces himself to stand up and remove himself from the area, Chris’ neck turns around and he notices Dan. 

Well, there went his fucking plan.

“Unfortunately bail hasn’t been set yet.” Carrot Top breaks the silence, “she still has a few stages to get through before a Judge can post bail for her.” 

Chris returns his attention to Carrot Top and gives his most flattering smile. 

“Is Officer Nichols in? I think it’s time I cash in that favor he owes me.” he leans in and whispers ever so slightly into Carrot Top’s ear but Dan can hear him loud and fucking clear. 

Carrot Top’s eyes go wide at that as she fixes her Navy Blue Polo.

“I can go to his office and tell him you’re here.” she stands to her feet and places the ‘On Break’ placard on her granite desk, “I’ll be back in a second.”

“Take your time, Sweetheart.” Chris winks at her as she walks away into the dimly-lit hallway and eventually disappears. 

Fuck it. 

He’s over this bullshit.

He stands to his feet and approaches Chris head-on, bumping past his barrel-chested goons who stand over the two of them intimidatingly.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Dan demands, his nostrils practically flaring. 

Chris looks at him in surprise, his eyes glossing over Dan.

“I’m doing something useful and bailing my kid out of jail. Something you can’t afford to do.” 

“In case you haven’t noticed, I was here before you and the overweight body-doubles of ‘Rocky’ arrived.” he doesn’t back down, “Now if you’re here to fuck Carrot Top then by all means, get to it because I’m here for my fucking kid, Chris. Something you wouldn’t know about.” 

“Technically you’re not even supposed to be here.” Chris challenges him, “Technically your ass should be on a beach in Southern California fucking some Overweight, Three Time’s Divorced, Retired Groupie Bitch where the sun doesn’t fucking shine for her. Not here picking up a role you’ve put on the back-burner for the past fourteen years.” 

“Yeah well technically I am here and there’s nothing you can fucking do about it.” he folds his arm over his chest, “Now if you want to follow through with that fucking threat and have one of your goons kill me in the lobby of the Police Department by all means, go ahead, just know that once you check into jail, they take your goons and their guns away which leaves you defenseless.”

Chris unhinges his jaw at that and takes a deep breath.

“Stop fooling yourself, Egan. I gave you an out, something you and I both know you prefer over this whole parenting thing. Leave now while you’re ahead and I’ll do you the favor of shipping your possessions on a 3 Day Mail system to wherever the fuck you decide to settle. Anywhere but fucking here.”

 “You see that’s what you want but you’re not going to fucking get.” Dan retorts, “I’m not one of your groupies soaked in your radioactive semen, you don’t fucking own or control me. Now move your selfish ass to the side so I can go get my fucking daughter.”

Chris gapes at him in surprise as Dan pushes him away from him, sending him to take a tumble backward against the heavy chest of one of his goons and it fills Dan’s chest with an immediate sense of pride.

He doesn’t care if fucking Carrot Top stops him in his tracks before he can get to the back room and find Meagan, they’ll have to use a goddamn dart gun to get him to calm the fuck down.

He’s looking left and right in any room his eyes land on, peering through the glass window and abandoning the sounds of Chris protesting from far behind him.

If his knowledge of Amy can hold true right about now, there’s a 50% chance of Amy pulling a Houdini act and appearing at the department at any minute. 

“Egan!” Chris’ voice booms from behind, “....take your ass back home before I-”

 _“Dad?”_ Meagan’s eyes round in shock as the Officer rounds the corner with his hands still firm on her handcuffs, keeping her close.

Thank fucking goodness.

“Meags!” Chris practically jogs down the hallway in a brisk sprint, “There you are! Are you okay?”

Her usually jewel-like eyes are surrounded by thick, puffy red skin with a thick trail of black eyeliner trailed down her cheeks. Her blonde hair is in a tangled, disarrayed mess on the top of her head and her leopard print dress has wrinkles of all kind stamping all over the silken material.

“What’s the bail?” Dan cuts to the chase, stepping right in front of Chris and asserting himself to the Officer. 

“There is no bail.” 

What?

“What?” Dan’s face scrunches in confusion, “There’s no bail?”

The Officer looks over his shoulder and his eyes fall on Chris. 

“Look. I don’t know who's picking her up and I sure as hell don’t care about whose dropping her off. All I know is that one of you need to take Little Miss Bundy through the back door and drive as fast as you can possibly go because I for one am not dealing with the goddamn press knocking down the doors of this building over this one not being able to handle her fucking alcohol.” the heavy-lidded Officer grumbles at them, unlocking Meagan from the handcuffs. 

Once Meagan’s free, she releases a deep breath and makes a quick swipe at her eyes nervously.

“Thanks, Man.” Chris reaches out and gives the Officer a modest handshake with a knowing glance, “..always a pleasure doing business with you.” 

“Yeah, yeah.” the Officer throws a dismissive hand in the air and makes his way to the back of the building.

The minute they’re alone, he turns to Meagan and runs a hand through the girl’s matted hair. 

“You okay, kid?” 

Meagan’s chest heaves up and down nervously as her eyes rifle between both him and Chris.

“I-”

“It’s okay, Meags. Let’s get you back home before you have a fucking breakdown.” Chris tries to sneak a hand on Meagan’s shoulder and escort her towards the back entrance but she shrugs away from him defiantly.

He watches as the teenage girl practically shrinks and hugs herself. 

“No.. _I..._ I don’t want to go home with you.” 

Chris frowns at that and pushes past Dan to bend down to Meagan’s level.

“Meags honey, you don’t have to worry about this anymore, okay? Your Mom is never gonna know about any of this.” he offers, “Now come home with me and _everything_ will be okay.” 

She breaks down into a heap of fast and furious tears, her head hanging in shame.

“Meags?” Dan steps forward, “Meags talks to me.” 

She covers her mouth with a trembling hand as she uses her free hand to run through her hair then using it to wrap around her throat ever so slightly. 

“I want to go home.” 

From the way Chris claps his hands, you would figure he won the goddamn lottery when he’s actually dealing with a sobbing teenage girl who's dealing with the emotional trauma of being arrested and held in a fucking holding cell.

“Perfect! Let’s get in the car and we ca-”

 _“No._ ” she insists strongly, “I wanna go home with Dad.” 

Chris’ jaw tightens at that and he practically growls at Dan like a fucking rottweiler. 

“Meags. Stop doing this an-”

“Dad.” Meagan ignores Chris altogether and turns towards Dan with a set of wide, pleading eyes, “Can you please take me home?” 

If he could, he’d smack the ever-loving shit out of Chris because not only does he want to but also because he truly feels the need to let out some aggression after all of this happening.

And also, if he sees another fucking person try to force his daughter into doing something she truly doesn’t want to do,  he’s going to fucking lose it.

“Yeah, kid, let’s go.” he all but pushes past Chris to pat Meagan on the back and direct her towards the back door, “..just head towards the door and I’ll meet you there.” 

Meagan nods sadly and makes her way towards the single door located at the dark hallway of the building as Dan stops in his tracks and makes his way back over to where Chris stands there dumbfoundedly. 

“Like father like daughter, asshole. Keep your fucking distance, I mean it.” he grits out to Chris and doesn’t waste time in walking away and following Meagan out of the building. 

Lucky for him, Chris doesn’t follow. 

Unfortunately for him, that’s not a good fucking sign by any means. 

And it's an even worse sign when he gets a text from Amy basically ordering him to drop Meagan off at her house.

Shit has definitely hit the fucking fan at this point.

* * *

  _BREAKING: 16-year-old Sam Magro found dead in a ditch after drunk driving home from a house party thrown on McGill Terrace._

The Washington Post

_1 Dead and 3 Injured after a house party got out of control in McGill Terrace_

ABC News

_ "My heart breaks in ways I cannot even express." Alphania Magro speaks out on the unfortunate passing of her 16-year-old son, Sam Magro in a length Twitter post. _

Washinton Times

_ Meagan Brookheimer, daughter of Amy Brookheimer was arrested earlier today for Underage Drug and Alcohol possession.  _

Politico

_ Believe it or not, Cocaine is now one of the top-selling drugs amongst today's youth.  _

Salon

_ "My heart and mind are with the Magro family in the midst of the unfortunate death of their beloved son." President Jonah Ryan takes to Twitter with an emotional post, honoring the four students of the Sidwell Friend's School who were affected in one of the year's worst drunk driving incidents. _

Fox News

_ PHOTOS: Meagan Brookheimer is escorted from the Metropolitan Police Department by a stranger and her Stepfather, Chris Blake. _

Vox

_ Meagan Brookheimer is identified as the culprit behind the now tragic house party at her Stepfather, Chris Blake's residence. _

MSNBC

_ Not so innocent? Meagan Brookheimer VIDEOTAPED chugging bottles of alcohol and smoking in a series of now-deleted Snapchat and Instagram videos. Click here to see the videos! _

_Life & Style_

_ "She's always thrown extremely dangerous and reckless parties at her parent's house." Cayla Carusso, a classmate of Meagan Brookheimer, speaks out following the tragic death of their fellow classmate and the news of Brookheimer's now-infamous house party.  _

Slate

_ "Amy [Brookheimer] should be ashamed of herself. The fact that she's remained silent on this entire situation proves just how heartless and terrible she truly is." Fox News host Carson Fabray rips Amy Brookheimer to shreds during today's segment of 'Fox & Friends' _

The Atlantic

_ According to his autopsy, 16-year old Sam Magro, had traces of Cocaine and Alcohol in his system while he was operating his vehicle which unfortunately led to his demise. _

Metropolitan Police Department on Twitter 

_ With Chris Blake's past use of drugs and alcohol, should we be surprised his Stepdaughter is following down the same path? _

U.S Uncut

_ BREAKING: White House announces that after "careful consideration and much thinking", Amy Brookheimer is RESIGNING immediately as President Jonah Ryan's Chief of Staff. _

CNN

_ "Ms. Brookheimer will be taking a much-needed hiatus from the White House to be with her family during this difficult time. We here at the White House will keep Amy in good spirits and wish her nothing but the best as she deals with this difficult time in her life." Teddy Sykes speaks out after news of Brookheimer's resignation is revealed to the general public.  _

NPR

* * *

 “Get up.” Amy orders Meagan the minute she walks under the door of the teenage girl’s bedroom, “We need to talk.”

“No thanks. In case you’ve been too busy to notice, I’m dealing with a hangover and I’m too tired to talk.”

“Yeah well I have a scar on my stomach from an emergency c-section and I haven’t slept for seven hours. You’re not the only one tired around here

Meagan sits up in her bed and removes her eye mask.

“I’m not the one that told you to get pregnant.” she looks Amy up and down in disgust, “You’re the one who got knocked up, not me. Now please, leave me _alone.”_

There’s something so sinister and unfamiliar with her tone that she doesn’t even recognize who it is she’s talking to. Sure, she still looks like Meagan but it certainly doesn’t feel or sound like her.

Her Meagan is bright, bubbly, warm, hilarious and inviting. She’s been like that since she was a baby and has always been like that to Amy.

Now, she’s met with a version of Meagan that’s cold, bitchy, rude, an apparent druggie and alcoholic and it invigorates Amy so deeply because that’s not her kid.

“Get up, _now.”_ Amy repeats herself, removing herself from the door frame and adjusting her black leggings, “I’m not repeating myself again.”

Giving a dramatic groan, Meagan stands to her feet, stomping on her bed and jumping to her feet to the ground and practically shoves past Amy, sending Amy to stumble backward as the teenage girl makes her way down the hallway leading to the staircase.

“Meagan. Come back.” 

“No, fuck you.”

Amy stops in her tracks, her heart racing a million miles a minute. 

“What did you say to me?” Amy asks for clarification because she truly cannot get herself to fathom what it is her daughter just said to her. 

“Fuck you.” Meagan repeats herself boldly, stopping on a staircase and tightening her grip on the stair railing, “I am sick and tired of you judging me for _one_ little mistake I made versus sitting down and asking me how I feel like you should be doing. Instead of worrying about me, you’re worried about keeping your precious boyfriend or even pretending to give a shit about that kid you pushed out of your cunt. So go fuck yourself, Mom.” 

She turns around and darts down the stairs, not even giving a look back to Amy and she’s in shock.

Thanks to the delivery, she can’t run-let alone walk at a quick pace so, she tries her best at making her way down the staircase and shuffles quickly into the living room where Meagan is slamming cabinet doors left and right.

“What are you doing?” Amy puts a hand on a drawer that Meagan fights to slide open, “You’re brother is _asleep.”_

“I don’t give a shit.” she swats Amy’s hand away and throws open the cabinet, tossing and throwing the contents of the continent to the side as she searches for something with great worry.

She watches as Meagan produces a small, clear baggie of a white, crystal-like substance and Amy feels her heat fucking shatter in an instant.

“Meagan! What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she reaches out to snatch the bag from Meagan as she does her best to keep it from Amy’s reach.

“You’re stressing me out!” Meagan protests, keeping her distance from Amy.

“You don’t even _know_ what you’re doing.” Amy shakes her head, “Give that to me before you hurt yourself.” 

“Leave me alone.” Meagan stomps away, making her way towards the staircase again.

“Meagan, get back here. _Now.”_ Amy’s voice raises definitely.

“Leave me alone!” she turns around and roars at Amy with her voice breaking in the middle, “ _Leave me alone!”_

She makes a swift move to retrieve the bag from Meagan’s shaking hand because the sight of seeing her daughter scream in her face in such an untamed fashion scares her shitless and if she sees it for another second she just might break into tears.

But instead, she’s met with jolting her body backward as Meagan uses her free hand to pick up a painting and slam it against the wall, sending a surge of fear through Amy’s body.

“Meagan. Stop!” she roars

 _“No!”_ she screams, reaching out for a glass bowl and slamming it towards the soles of Amy’s feet, “Leave me the fuck alone.”

Amy opens her mouth to respond but there’s a distinct wail coming from the nursery upstairs.

“What the fuck is going on down here?” Chris appears at the top of the steps, staring down at Amy and Meagan in confusion.

 _“Nothing!”_ Meagan throws her hands in the air and turns around to make her way up the staircase as Chris makes his way back down, “Just please, leave me the fuck alone!” 

“What do you have in your hands?” Chris stops Meagan and looks down at her in confusion, “Show me.” 

“It’s nothing.” she insists strongly.

Chris makes a quick hand swipe to Meagan’s hands and snatches the crystal baggie from her hand, giving her a stern stare.

“Where did you find this?” Chris’ voice raises in shock, his eyes boring into Meagan who shrinks in on herself.

“In the drawer where you hid it in” Meagan spits out at him, “You and I both know that it’s yours.” 

Wait, what?

This entire situation is quite literally what nightmares are made of. If she could, she would force herself to wake up from this silly, totally unrealistic dream of hers but she knows good and well that this isn’t her imagination playing tricks on her.

“Chris.” her voice is pained, “Is that really yours?”

Instead of begging and pleading with her that it isn’t, in fact, his drugs, he just gave a small sigh and scratches the back of his head in meaningful silence.

“Babe-”

 _“Don’t.”_ she holds up a hand, not being able to breathe for the first time in ages, her throat closing up, “Don’t even speak to me.” 

Without waiting for another second, she pushes past both Chris and Meagan and stomps her way up the staircase as fast as her feet can take her and rounds the corner to approach Greyson’s nursery.

She locates her house slippers and jacket near the rocking chair positioned towards Greyson’s crib and wastes no time in shoving her feet into the slippers and sliding her jacket over her pajama shirt.

For so long she’s been wondering what was wrong with both Chris and Meagan.

Chris was more erratic, going off of dangerous impulses every other second and Meagan was starting to fall in line with that behavior. And now that she knows that drugs are the reasoning behind it..she no longer wants to be in her own damn house anymore.

Greyson’s in his crib wailing away helplessly, his little body shuddering in fear from the noise of the loud voices and glass breaking in the house as Amy picks up his diaper bag and begins to stuff it with god knows what. 

“What the fuck are you doing?” 

“Leaving.” Amy grits out, grabbing a collection of onesies and submerging them into the overstuffed bag, “I can’t do this with you two right now, especially not with Greyson. I’m _fucking leaving_.” she cries out.

“Amy.” he tries his best to reach out and barricade her body against the dresser, “Baby, don’t be that way. Let’s talk this through.”

“You do drugs _._ ” Amy turns around against his body, “You’ve been doing Cocaine for god knows how long and you fucking let Meagan touch it and now she’s batshit crazy.” her eyes well up with tears.

He’s silent.

“I can’t do this anymore.” she grits out, turning around to zip up the diaper bag, “Grey can’t be around this and neither can I.”

He wraps a warm hand around her wrist, keeping her close and brushing his lips against her ear.

“Stay here and we’ll talk,” he promises her.

For a second, she’s found herself torn. 

Say what you want about Chris but, no matter how upset she was at him, the minute he got his arms wrapped around her waist, it was like nothing else in the world mattered.

“No.” she forces the words to come out of her mouth, “I can’t do this right now, I need to go.”

“Go where? It’s almost fucking midnight, everything is pretty much closed.”

“I don’t know.” she forces herself from his arms and makes her way towards the crib to pick up Greyson after she pushes her phone into her pockets, “..but anywhere is better than being here with you.”

She tries her best to focus on wrangling a screaming Greyson into his arms and getting him under control but the minute she lowers her hands into the crib, she feels herself getting pulled away from the crib forcefully.

“What the fuck are you-”

“Stop running away from me!” Chris demands, his Ocean blue eyes darkening at her, “Sit the fuck down and talk to me like a grown adult.”

She tries to push past him because with the way Greyson is wailing in his crib, he’s due to wake up the whole damn neighborhood in a matter of minutes.

“Chris, leave me alone-”

He cuts her off by landing an open-handed slap across her face.

Out of instinct, she cradles her face with her hand because her face is now fucking stinging and the tears sliding down her face almost automatically makes the pain sting even worse.

With the fighting, screaming and crying, everything around her seems like a goddamn blur and her movements all follow without even thinking.

She pushes him away from her forcefully, slinging one of Greyson’s pillows at his face and finally bending down to retrieve the screaming baby.

“Why would you do that?” she practically screams out, “You fucking slapped me.”

“You wouldn’t listen!” 

“And you thought fucking hitting me would do the trick?” she screams at him without holding back, adjusting Greyson in her arms as he screams in fear.

He opens his mouth to speak but she figures it would be better for her to not hear whatever bullshit excuse he’s about to swing at her so, she slings the diaper bag over her shoulder, holds Greyson closer and pushes past him almost instantly.

“We’re done.” she spits at him over her shoulder, "When I come back, your stuff needs to be out of here."

She makes her way down to the garage as fast as her feet can take her as she balances everything in her arms as best as possible.

She should’ve done this ages ago.

The minute all of this shit started with Chris, she should’ve grabbed Meagan and took her pregnant ass as far as she could go but now, with Meagan hopped up on drugs along with Chris, she won’t exactly leave but, she needs to get away for a while.

She slides her key of the key rack in the garage and slowly but surely maneuvers moving Greyson’s car carrier from Chris’ car into her own in the back seat.

Since her C-Section was an emergency procedure and it happened a month early, the Doctors had prohibited basic movements and driving from her for a month or two but, with everything around her going on she has no other option.

“It’s okay, baby.” she breathes out to Greyson as she moves her hands as quick as she can to secure him into the seat, “We’re gonna go somewhere, it’s okay.” her voice is calm and slow.

Greyson’s face softens as he practically forces himself to stop crying and Amy watches as he tries to breathe as best as he can while Amy attempts to strap him up.

She unzips the diaper bag and locates Greyson’s breathing buddy-a small breathing mask that helps oxygen fill into his lungs while they’re on the go and she settles on using that to help him with his lungs.

 _“Shhh..”_ Amy presses a kiss on the crown of his head, pulling away once she’s satisfied with his security in the car-seat and closes the door so she slides into the driver’s seat.

She doesn’t know where she’s going, but she figures anywhere is certainly better than here.

* * *

He gets a knock early in the morning a few hours after dropping Meagan off at Amy and Chris’.

Usually, he’d enjoy this.

Anticipating what’s outside of the door and the build-up that comes with walking up to twist open the door to reveal his surprise visitor.

But now, he hates it because usually it’s trouble on the other side of the door and he’s about sick and tired of having to deal with tiresome situations consistently. 

This time when he opens the door, he’s met with a tightlipped, quietly sobbing Amy of all people and shocked isn’t even the word to describe it.

“Ames? What...what are yo-”

“It was Chris’.” she breathes out with her round eyes growing teary-eyed.

He yawns and scratches the back of his neck, stretching an arm over his head.

“The Cocaine and the drugs...all of it was Chris’ and he fucking lied to me and...I just don’t know what to do anymore.”

He pokes his head out to look around and notices no one’s near.

He opens his mouth to speak but there’s a loud, sharp cry that practically jolts him awake and his heart rate grows a million times more. 

He looks down and sees Amy’s hand wrapped tightly around a baby carrier and that’s when it dawns on him that she’s not entirely alone.

“Where’s Meags?” 

Amy swallows air at that, running her free hand through her hair frantically.

“Back at the house with Chris, I  _ just _ ….I had to get out of there.” an ugly sob escapes from her throat and her body begins to convulse frantically, “I can’t tell you why it’s just...I had to get out of there, D-”

“Come in, Ames.” he puts a delicate hand on her shoulder and directs her through the door, closing the door right behind her after he’s confirmed for what seems the millionth time in that second that nobody has followed them inside. 

There’s a moment when she awkwardly stands in the middle of his living room, not knowing what to do with herself and he tries to put on his most reassuring face.

But since he’s Dan fucking Egan, he still hasn’t exactly mastered the whole “I’m here for you look”.

It wasn’t one of his strong suits in all honesty.

“So what about Chris?” Dan leads her to the couch and helps her take a seat as he takes a grip of the baby carrier and places it right next to her on the couch, “What’d he do this time?”

“The Cocaine...it was his. It was all his and he somehow introduced it to Meagan and now she’s going crazy and she started screaming at me and throwing stuff at me and I just couldn’t take it anymore.” she slaps her hands on her face and sobs into her hands without holding back.

“She threw stuff at you?” Dan’s eyebrow rises up in disbelief.

Amy musters out a weak nod and combs a hand through her hair, her hand pulling away from her now-puffy eyes. 

“She went downstairs and got a bag because she was stressed out and needed to relieve stress when I tried to talk to her about it but it ended up with her basically trying to fight me,” Amy admits with her head hanging.

Fuck.

“Ames..you know this isn’t your fault right?” Dan pinches the bridge of his nose after he removes his glasses, “Chris has always been a fucking asshole with a drug problem but that has nothing to do with you.” 

She gives a weak laugh at that.

“I broke up with him.” she hangs her head in shame, “It was in the heat of the moment but...I had to do it.” she nods to herself, “I couldn’t take him treating me like that for much longer.”

Finally.

Even though he’s fairly positive  Michelle will rejoice in a fucking praise dance when she catches wind of this news, Dan’s fairly confident that he might be the happiest motherfucker in the world right about now.

Obviously he’s not that happy because his daughter is now apparently an underage alcoholic and druggie and that worries the ever-loving shit out of him, as it should.

But, there was a relief that came with hearing the news of Amy breaking up with Chris. 

Now, Amy could finally move on and get this fucking dark cloud hanging over her head the fuck away from her because that’s all Chris bring to the table. 

Bad times and bad press and Amy’s had enough of that in her career with Selina as it is.

He looks over to the baby who sits in the baby carrier with a look on his face that indicates he’ll break into a fit of tears, much like his mother, at a moment’s notice and it is alarming as all hell to Dan.

His parenting expertise was only reserved for teenage girls named Meagan who was already potty-trained, knew how to dress themselves, and cook for themselves when needed be, not to three-week-old babies with Daddy issues. 

“..Well do you need anything?” Dan offers awkwardly as Greyson releases a few uncomfortable cries, his tiny hands reaching out for Amy in an alarmingly cute way.

For a moment, Amy holds up a finger and gives her attention to the overly-fussy baby, offering a few shushes and trying to ween him into using his pacifier but all of her attempts fail and all result in him releasing a loud, spine-tingling cry.

“I know it’s a lot to ask but, I need somewhere to stay for a day or two. Do you mind if we sleep on the couch or something; you won’t even know we’re here once I get him to sleep, I promise.” she offers with a soft, pleading voice. 

If he could, he’d take Amy and let her sleep with him in his bed because from the way she violently shakes and flinches every time he speaks with his hands, it seems like she needs to be held by someone who isn’t the grown spawn of Satan.

Sure, Dan isn’t a noble human being by any means but he knows fur sure he isn’t as bad as Chris Blake is.

And that’s a fucking fact.

“It’s no problem.” he stands to his feet and offers his hand out to Amy, “You can sleep in Meag’s bed. It’s big enough for the two of you to sleep in.”

Her bottom lip trembles at the mention of Meagan and Dan’s fairly certain she’s due to break into tears at any moment and he has to quite literally prepare himself on how to handle it if she breaks down into tears in his arms. 

She nods slowly at that and stands to her feet, keeping a firm grip o Greyson’s baby carrier and looking up at Dan through her eyelashes.

“Is it up the stairs?” she pulls herself together with her free hand as she tries to balance all of Greyson’s shit on one shoulder.

He nods and points towards the left, “Once you come off the landing, go to the single door at the end of the left hallway and it’s right there.”

Amy nods slowly at that and takes a deep breath.

“Thanks, Dan. I appreciate this. I really do.” her voice is broken down and slow as if she just left a gun-fight wounded with a bullet shot right through her chest and it breaks his heart to pieces.

Shitty people deserve shitty things to happen to them.

Not Amy.

She didn’t deserve any of this. 

“No problem.” he slides his glasses back on and pats her shoulder, “I’ll bring you up some water in a few minutes.”

She sighs at that and treks her way up the staircase, leaving Dan to watch her as he makes her way into the kitchen to pour her some water and find her a snack or something to eat because it looks like she hasn’t eaten in days. 

He figures the considerate thing to do in this situation would be to just let Amy get some rest along with Greyson and let him deal with this whole Meagan situation on his own.

The logical step now would be for them to enroll her in some sort of rehab center for teens or some noble shit.

Meagan was bright and a genuinely good kid and for the life of him, Dan would do anything in his power to make sure that she doesn’t result in something she isn’t because of a few reckless mistakes she made. 

He would try talking to her because at least he knows he can somewhat get to her level in the midst of a conversation but, from the sounds of it, she doesn’t sound emotionally ready for a conversation with anybody right about now. 

Then with Amy, since it sounds like she has her mind fixed on not going back to Chris anytime soon or really, ever, now seemed like the perfect time for a press release to let the whole world know that.

If Amy were to reveal to the press just how much of a scumbag Chris is and that she’s cutting all ties from him, the public will fall to their knees for her so quickly it’ll be fucking insane. 

And the fact that she temporarily resigned from Chief of Staff made it all easier. 

News of the break-up hits the public before Christmas, she spends January doing tell-all interviews of just how toxic Chris was with her and before April rolls around she’ll be guaranteed a book deal. 

He figures it might be wise to get into contact with Michelle on this whole thing because he figures she’ll soften Amy up better than anybody to actually be on board for a plan like that.

When he’s done with the water and located a bag of Pretzels for Amy, he treks himself up the staircase and approaches the door that slightly sits open and pauses when he hears Amy’s faint voice talking to whom he assumes is Greyson.

“I’m sorry you had to see your Dad and Sister act like that. I promise it won’t happen again well, for your Sister at least. I’m going to make sure she never does that ever again. But I can’t stop your Dad because it seems like that’s what he likes to do.” 

She pauses to take a deep breath.

“You don’t have to worry about me though. I won’t hurt you like that...and I won’t let anyone else hurt you like that because I know the feeling...and it fucking sucks.” 

And he’s fairly certain this might be the most heartbreaking conversation he’s heard all day.

* * *

_ Chris Blake posts a series of desperate angry tweets directed at Amy Brookheimer demanding that she "return" their child after allegedly kidnapping their four-week-old son, Greyson. _

USA Today

_Chris Blake posts photo of black-eye to Instagram and alleges that he received it after a fight between Amy Brookheimer regarding their children, Meagan (15) and Greyson ( 4 weeks) turned physical._

Associated Press

_ "I've remained silent for too long. It's now time that I speak out for not only my safety but our children's as well." Chris Blake posts a series of emotional videos on Instagram alleging his partner, Amy Brookheimer of physical and verbal abuse.  _

The Hill

_ The Problem With Women like Amy Brookheimer [Guest Column] _

The Cut

_ Yes, Men get Abused too, and here's why we should be talking about it more. _

Vice News

_ Amy Brookheimer has yet to respond to Blake's claims. _

The Blaze

_ Chris Blake releases EXCLUSIVE footage of his arguments with Amy Brookheimer on Instagram. Click here to see what expensive, designer object she threw at his face! _

TMZ

_ Meagan Brookheimer has deactivated all of her Social Media accounts after being arrested for Underage Drug and Alcohol possession. _

Elite Daily

_ When asked to comment on the news of her friend, Amy Brookheimer physically and verbally abusing her partner, Chris Blake, York slammed the reports as "F****** ridiculous". _

Buzzfeed News

_ Chris Blake breaks into tears on camera as he recounts "scary" and "violent" exchanges with partner, Amy Brookheimer over the past few months. _

The Guardian

* * *

 

 “What do you think about Chris?” Dan approaches Michelle the minute Amy is knocked out cold and he figures he has a good fifteen minutes to pick the blonde’s brain for vital information.

She looks up from her phone and raises an eyebrow at him in confusion.

“I’m sorry?”

“Chris." Dan repeats himself, keeping his voice low, "What do you think about Chris?"

Michelle rolls her eyes, "No comment." she doesn't look up from the phone. 

God, if this was going to be anything like interrogating another Amy he's going to shoot his head clean off. 

"I know you hate him." 

"Then why would you ask me what I thought about him?' Michelle retorts like it's obvious, "Seems a little irrelevant now, huh?" 

"I need to know some things." 

Michelle snorts at that, not bothering to look up from her phone.

"Is that why you invited me here? You wanted to know if I was a better fuck than Amy or some shit because that's fucking low for you considering the fact I'm the only real friend she's had in what, the past ten years?" 

"No, god no." Dan protests, throwing his hands in the air with a defeated sigh, "I need to know some things about Chris."

'Google him. He's hard to fucking miss these days." 

 _"That's_ my point!" Dan claps his hands together like she's solved the code because from how fucking frigid she is, he feels like they just found the goddamn cure to fucking cancer or some shit, "I don't like how he's been treating Amy..telling people how she's abusing him and shit? That's fucked up."

"It is." 

"And you're not angry about that?" Dan blinks at her in disbelief.

He figures if anyone would be ready to shoot Chris, it'd be Michelle. 

She's like a tall, blonde guard-dog built-in best friend for Amy. As long as Michelle was around, no one dared to say anything bad about Amy because they knew damn well that Michelle would stick the fuck up her the way Amy always had for Selina. 

And from the strength of their friendship, it's clear that Amy was the same way with Michelle. 

"I'm fucking livid." Michelle does a quick look over her shoulder, "I've been trying to convince Amy for the past few months to break up with him so this wouldn't happen but she waited it out to do it and now, he's accusing her of all of this shit and people are actually believing him." 

See? Now he's getting somewhere. 

"I take it you don't believe him."

Michelle blinks at him like he's crazy and finally pulls her attention away from her phone, shutting it off almost instantly. 

"I've been around them before they fight, while they fight and after they fight and it's not Amy. It's always fucking Chris but nobody would know that because Amy doesn't want to say anything about it and have it be this giant scandal thing even though that's exactly what the nine months have been." Michelle admits with a stern tone, "He always picks fights with her because he knows that she won't ever say anything about it because she loves him too much." 

Jesus.

It's just what he had suspected.

From the one fight he witnessed with Chris screaming all kinds of misogynistic slurs at Amy over something he did, he had an inkling that the two of them were not capable of having an adult conversation in a calm and respectful manner. 

"Well, she has to fucking say something eventually because the minute Chris gets a TV interview, she's screwed." Dan scratches the back of his neck nervously, the image of various headline sripping Amy to shreds comes into mind.

Michelle takes a deep breath and looks over her shoulder. 

"Well we need something to work with and it has to be something that Amy approves on." Michelle offers

"She's not gonna approve anything, that's the problem." Dan thinks to himself

"She will...if she sees what Chris is saying about her, she'll reveal her truths. Believe me, she has a lot of them." 

"Give me one." 

Michelle's bottom lip trembles at that nervously as he challenges her. 

She throws a frantic look over her shoulder and shakes her head at him. 

"I can't." 

"Yes, you can. This isn't for me, it's for fucking Amy."

She folds her arms over her chest.

"You seriously want me to believe that you haven't identified whatever perk that comes with this? Because knowing you, I'm pretty sure you've identified whatever financial perk you can get from this and have already started planning your retirement as some overly-tanned real estate agent in Laguna Beach." 

He cringes at that because real estate is quite literally the last job he'd ever willingly do and rolls his eyes.

"Michelle. Whatever you tell me, she's going to tell the press too so, it's not going to be this big revelation cause the whole world will know about it."

Michelle looks torn for a second and she chews on her bottom lip.

"...Two weeks after having Greyson, Chris basically cornered Amy and-"

There's a series of alarming chimes coming from Michelle's phone.

And it's not a good chime-good chimes are usually four back to back text messages..it's a bad chime. 

Which means it can be one of two things. 

Either Jonah found the Nuclear Codes and launched a fucking Nuke or it's Chris. 

And because of their lives and how shitty everything's going so far, he's gonna go with the later and assume it's Chris related. 

There's a moment of silence as Michelle scrolls through her phone at rapid speed and eventually lands on whatever it is that's grabbing everyone's attention.

"What?"

Michelle's eyes go round in bewilderment as her hand clamps over her gaping mouth in complete and utter shock.

"What the fuck is going on?"

Michelle does a double-take and takes a deep breath.

"Chris had a camera in their room and bathroom recording all the times they had sex."

Oh fuck, not this. 

"He posted videos?" Dan's voice goes high as he practically (almost) falls off his counter stool in surprise. 

Michelle musters out a small nod and turns the phone towards him.

"He posted the video of you and Amy in the shower." Michelle reveals, "..and he's posted at least twenty videos of her having sex with him in the past minute." 

And just like that, this has already become the worst day ever. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment and or kudos!
> 
> It's both heavily encouraged and greatly appreciated!


	14. Look What You've Done To Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She had always assumed that her childhood was as normal as it could be.
> 
> She was raised by her mom and stepdad, had a batch of cousins to play with as a child, she kept herself busy with sports and after school clubs every year of school and lived in one of the nicest neighborhoods in DC.
> 
> But now that she’s older and looks back on her childhood, one thing she’s realized is that her childhood was seriously fucked up and truly anything but normal.
> 
> Even though her Mom was there, she wasn’t all the way there for her like everyone else’s moms were.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow!
> 
> The story is heading into its final act and I cannot wait for the final remaining chapters of this story.
> 
> Writing this story has been such an honor because of all of you beautiful people supporting it by reading, leaving amazing comments and kudos and for that, I will forever be grateful for every single of you!
> 
> Regarding this chapter...things get a little dark so, I'm taking this chapter to warn you now that this chapter is not for faint-hearted. So please, please, read at your own discretion!
> 
> When you're done with this story, please leave a comment letting me know what you thought about this chapter and send me a message on Tumblr if you can! I love hearing what you guys think about the story and it helps me shape the next chapter!
> 
> With that being said, here's chapter fourteen of 'If I Never See Your Face Again'!

 

> _ Why'd you have to say goodbye _
> 
> _  
>  Look what you've done to me _
> 
> _  
>  I can't stop these tears from fallin' from my eyes _
> 
>  
> 
> _ -Mary J. Blige 'I'm Goin' Down' _

* * *

 

Meagan’s not normal.

She doesn’t know what she is but she knows she’s not normal by any means.

Technically, nobody’s normal but, Meagan knows that despite this...her life has never really been normal and she’s never understood why.

She’s always had good grades, smiled at strangers as she walked down the cold streets of DC and all of that other optimistic bullshit she’s done her whole life.

So why is it that she’s never been granted the privilege of a normal life?

She had always assumed that her childhood was as normal as it could be.

She was raised by her mom and stepdad, had a batch of cousins to play with as a child, she kept herself busy with sports and after school clubs every year of school and lived in one of the nicest neighborhoods in DC.

But now that she’s older and looks back on her childhood, one thing she’s realized is that her childhood was seriously fucked up and truly anything but normal.

Even though her Mom was there, she wasn’t all the way there for her like everyone else’s moms were.

Like the time Meagan was three and she was the first (and _ only) _ girl in her gymnastics class to learn how to do the splits and a backflip all by her damn self.

The team coach, Mrs. Coles made her demonstrate her tricks to every single class in the gymnasium because she was that impressive and even upgraded Meagan to train with the Level One competition team because she was  _ that _ fucking good.

When she ran into her Mom’s arms after practice to tell her, she didn’t care.

Sure, she smiled at her and told her just how proud she was of her.

But did she care?

No.

Or the time when Meagan was stuck in a Green Room at some event for Jonah as her mom did god knows what, she had learned all of the words to the entire ‘Wicked’ soundtrack all by her damn self at the crisp age of six.

Why?

Because she was that good.

As for her Mom’s reaction?

“Great job, Meags.” she had told her without even bothering to look up from her phone while sending off an email to god knows what.

Basically, anytime something good or exciting happened to Meagan whether it be personally or extra-curricular wise, she learned to just keep it away from her and celebrate it with people who gave a damn about it.

Like her Grandparents or Chris.

When she was younger, before her Grandpa died of kidney failure right in front of her at age ten and her Grandma was diagnosed with Leukemia at age thirteen, she loved going to their house. 

When she went there..it was like she was able to be a kid.

Not pandering them about what they’re eating for dinner, not thinking up of a new strategy to get them off their phones or even worrying about life in general.

She was able to eat junk food, watch Disney movies until she passed out on the couch and hang out with her Grandfather; who still might be one of her favorite people of all time.

There were no expectations there and she liked that.

He was there for her in a way Meagan had never seen before.

She didn’t grow up with her Dad being there so, she had her Grandpa and he was simply the best person to have around.

He taught her how to read, how to play Monopoly, let her drive his car while she sat in his lap, took her out for Ice Cream every Friday after Gymnastics and even taught her how to play the piano when she was six.

That’s where her nickname, Bennie came in-he taught her how to play Elton John’s ‘Bennie and the Jets’ on the piano.

She supposes that’s what Grandparents are supposed to do-let you eat all of the sugary junk food known to mankind, watch animated movies until you pass out from exhaustion and spoil you fucking rotten.

But, for the life of her, she wishes that she and her Mom could’ve done fun stuff like that together.

She doesn’t hate her Mom by any means, she just sometimes wishes she was different. 

Then when Chris entered the picture, it was a sense of hope for her. 

For the first time in all her life, she finally had a father figure that could fill in the role that was so desperately empty her entire life. 

She had someone to take her to father-daughter dances, cheer her on at competitions and bring flowers for her at recitals and most importantly be there for her when she needed somebody and couldn’t wait for her mother’s availability.

Again, it’s not like she didn’t love her Mom, she just really wishes she was like the other moms sometimes.

Like her friend Angie’s Mom who lets all of the girls on the Volleyball team have their team sleepovers at their families lake house.

Or like her teammate Kailyn’s Mom who acts as the team mom and always makes the team dinner after one of their far-away games or after an extremely long practice.

She knows her Mom would never be able to do any of these things because of her hectic schedule but also because it’s just not the kinds of things she does.

That’s why she had Chris.

Because Chris was there for her in ways her Mom could never be.

Like the time Meagan’s paper mache replica of the Golden Gate Bridge for her fifth-grade Landmarks assignment collapsed in the middle of the night, Chris saved the day by making another one from scratch and completing it in a matter of three hours.

Or the time she wanted to practice her Gymnastics make-up before her big competition, Chris had let her test out her skills on his face.

Or maybe even the time Aunt Sophie’s tool of a boyfriend, Felix, had molested her and she turned to Chris for help.

He handled it.

She remembers the day so vividly it scares her at times.

She was ten years old and sleeping over at her Grandparent’s house like any other time.

It was late at night, well beyond her bedtime, and she had snuck downstairs to get a cookie from the counter and a bottle of water since she had found herself thirsty in the middle of the night.

When she got downstairs and made her way into the pitch-black kitchen, she stood to her tippy toes to click on the lights and was met by Felix, a middle-aged white guy with a beer gut that put’s Santa Claus’ to shame sitting at the table in the dark.

She didn’t think anything by it because the kitchen was the heart of the house at her Grandparent’s residence so, she just gave a small smile and turned around to quickly grab a water from the fridge and slide a cookie off the tray.

As she focused on getting the cookie into her grasp, she felt an eery and uncomfortable warmth approach her from behind and yank the cookie from her fingertips.

“Here ya go, kid,” he grumbled down at her.

“Thank you.” she meekly responded, grabbing her water bottle and making a break for the stairs but she pauses as she felt a strong pull on her arm.

“Did your Mom ever tell you what happens when you wear shorts that short?” he had asked her.

She had shaken her head no because it was the truth. 

Her Mom had always told her that she can wear whatever she wants, whenever she wants but to always be cautious about the people she surrounded herself with.

Instead of him letting her go like she wanted, he lifted her to the counter much to her surprise and forced her to sit down with her legs opened.

When she was younger, she had told Chris that Felix ‘felt her up with his fingers’ on the counter in the middle of the night because that is what happened and she didn’t like it for one minute.

But now, that she’s older, she knows what really happened.

She was fucking molested. 

Molested on the kitchen counter where her Grandma makes her Chocolate-Chip pancakes every Friday and Sunday morning. 

Talk about a fucked-up childhood.

When she told Chris, in the middle of the night after a nightmare had woken her up-and her Mom wasn’t back from the hospital yet, she felt a strange sense of relief.

Not because it was the last time it happened but really because of the promise Chris made to her.

“Trust me. It won’t happen again” he had promised her. 

And sure enough, he kept to his word.

A few days after the incident happened, Felix was found dead in a horrific car accident on Kenilworth Freeway.

As a young girl, she figured that probably God or one of his friends up there made that happen because he was a bad person that did something truly bad.

But now, she knows how it happened.

She knows Chris was behind it somehow.

She doesn’t know how but, it just added up in a way that was too close to comfort for her.

He can hide that side from her Mom all she wants but, Meagan knows things even her Mom doesn’t know about Chris.

To this day, her Mom still has no idea about the whole Felix incident of Chris being responsible for his death.

When she was eleven and they were vacationing in Los Angeles and staying at his house, she found his weapon drawer filled with guns and knives of all shapes and sizes.

When she was twelve and went looking through Chris’ drawers for some tape, she found his bags of cocaine-which she assumed to be sugar but about a week later after a through drug and alcohol unit in her health class, she realized it was cocaine.

At thirteen, she found out that Chris’ parties usually featured naked strippers and dancers whenever her Mom was out of town and Meagan was snooping around on social media.

And at fourteen, she’s realized that all adults suck and she genuinely can’t trust anybody who is an adult.

And she wonders why her parents are so goddamn shocked when they find out that she’s been drinking and using.

This shouldn’t be a surprise by any means.

Even though her Mom and Dad both don’t know about Chris’ drug and alcohol abuse, the way her life has been running for the past fourteen years...she’s surprised she hasn’t been using earlier.

She’s not an alcoholic by any means.

She’s just a teenager that recreationally drinks and smokes every now and then.

When she’s thirteen, she has her first drink of alcohol.

It’s not because of peer pressure by any means. 

She just wanted to see what all of the fuss was about. 

And once she sips Chris’ Vodka Soda after he leaves his seat at Dinner for the bathroom, she has an idea of why people enjoy it so much.

When she’s fourteen, she tries weed for the first time.

She likes it.

She doesn’t particularly love it but, it’s cool when she needs to calm the fuck down and get ahold of her anxiety.

Then when she turns fifteen and Chris lets her have his house on McGill Terrace to herself for a house party, she tries cocaine and enjoys it oddly enough.

She’s not proud of it by any means, she knows damn well that out of all of the drugs she could’ve done, cocaine is the last one because it’s that bad but...when she does it, she’s filled with joy and happiness, something she hasn’t found in a while.

It allows her to let loose and not think about how sucky her life is.

It allows her to forget that she’s tried to kill herself twice in the past year.

It helps her mute out the loud voices of her Mom and Chris fighting over god knows what at whatever hour in the day.

And for some, strange reason, it helps her not feel alone for the first time in what seems like her entire life.

* * *

 

_ "Don't ******* touch my kid!" Amy Brookheimer SCREAMS at Chris Blake in a video posted to Blake's Instagram-showing a darker side of Brookheimer. _

National Enquirer

_ Chris Blake was in 'disbelief' amongst landing on footage of Amy Brookheimer cheating on him with handsome stranger. _

Mother Jones

_ Did Amy Brookheimer get a boob job? Click here to compare! _

Political Hollywood Unlocked

_ Instagram has disabled Brookheimer's Instagram comments due to her account being spammed with slut-shaming comments. _

Los Angeles Times

_ Can Chris Blake be accused of Revenge Porn? We ask DC's top Lawyers and here's what they said. _

The Washington Times

_ Here's Why Men Stay with Abusive Women-Relationship Expert, Madden Garver tells all. _

Men's Health

_ "I fully intend of getting full custody of both of my children for their health and to put an official end to all of this madness between Amy and I." Chris Blake posts on Twitter, confirming that he will be filing for full custody for his stepdaughter, Meagan Brookheimer (15) and biological son, Greyson, (4 weeks) _

MSNBC

_ "You're just mad that your sex tape sucked." President Jonah Ryan OPENLY mocks Chris Blake on Twitter after he posts explicit videos of him and Amy Brookheimer having sexual relations on Instagram and it's WILD. _

Buzzfeed News

_ Who did Amy Brookheimer cheat on Chris Blake with?  _

Vox

_ "We are fighting full-throttle on this case." Parker Blake speaks out, "I will be helping my brother every step of the way to help ensure that he gets his kids back in his possession."  _

The Guardian

* * *

“Has she came out yet?” Dan pushes bursts through the doors of the waiting room where he sees Michelle, Bill, Teddy and a few interns strewn across the room working diligently on their smartphones and tablets.

Bill cranes his neck and checks out Dan then points at the large television screen, picking up the remote and turning up the volume.

“Her and Wescott just headed outside to address the press, they should be any minute now.” he takes a seat on the large couch set at the center of the room, directly in front of the television.

He sighs and combs a hand through his hair, feeling a set of butterflies going absolutely bananas in his stomach and it’s driving him fucking insane. He wants (more than anything) to just sit down and calm the fuck down for a second, making sure he’s all calm and collected for Amy but, he can’t fucking help it.

Not in this situation at least.

His palms are sweaty, his heart is racing a million miles a minute and his mouth has a distinct copper taste and if he has to wait one more goddamn minute, he’s certain he’ll have a panic attack.

God, he can’t even imagine how Amy must fucking feel right about now.

When he told her, about the videos and Chris posting the videos...she cried.

She fucking sobbed.

He always knew that Chris was a dick, considering their past exchanges and the amount of shit he’s put Amy through but this...this was just sick and twisted and absolutely revolting.

“There she is.” Teddy points at the television, snatching the remote from Bill and turning up the volume to full maximum volume.

And when he sees her...his heart fucking breaks in half.

Her hair is straightened to perfection, she’s dressed in a sharp teal two-piece pantsuit with light makeup and a pair of sunglasses shielding her eyes from the world.

Even though she looks the part of a badass, he knows, deep down she’s suffering. She’s hating everything and wants to do nothing more but fall off the face of the earth and he can’t blame her, not for one fucking minute.

The minute her and the lawyer, Kyle Wescott approach the podium set on the steps of City Hall, his heartbeat rapidly approaches.

The noises from the journalist and reporters lined up behind the barricades worries him to a large degree because they’re bloodthirsty and unsympathetic. 

If he could, he’d go out there, shield Amy underneath his arm and tell Chris Blake where to shove him and his unnecessary stalkerish behavior straight to the camera for the whole world to see.

But he can’t.

And that feeling of being as useless as a plastic bag haunts him to his core.

The crowd and room fall silent the minute Amy takes a stand behind the podium and adjusts the microphone to her height.

He watches as she takes a deep breath to herself as Kyle unfolds the official written statement and places it on the podium for Amy to see.

She inhales one last time and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“Good Morning, my name is Amy Brookheimer, and I am here to make an official, public statement in regards to a series of explicit audio and video recordings released by my ex-partner, Chris Blake.” her voice is slow and careful.

She takes another deep breath and lets her eyes gloss over the statement paper one last time and looking back out into the crowd of reporters staring back at her on the edges of their seats.

“Yesterday morning, I was woken up to the news that Christopher Blake had posted a set of videos and recordings featuring me in various sexual positions to his Twitter and Instagram account with disrespectful captions. Obviously, I was shocked, disgusted and completely livid at the fact that he used my personal life as a weapon against me so publically in front of the whole world.”

She pauses for a minute, adjusts her glasses and takes yet another deep breath, sending a dagger through Dan’s heart.

“Not only were these recordings taken without my consent but, Chris had made it a point to show that he has _ ‘ownership’  _ over me.”

Her mouth opens to speak but it shuts promptly, her lips trembling in pain and he sees it.

She’s seconds away from breaking down in front of the whole world and he wants to do nothing more than go out there and save his girl from these fucking monsters that don’t deserve her.

She removes her sunglasses with one swift motion and clears her throat, not hiding her glossy eyes behind the designer shades anymore.

He watches as she slides the glasses into her pocket and grips onto the podium for dear life after she takes the paper and folds it up, looking back out into the crown after she’s folded it in half and dropped it on the podium.

“I have two children.” she gives a sad laugh, “A daughter named Meagan and a son named Greyson, both of whom I love more than anything in this world.” her voice chokes up in the middle.

“Not only do I find this attack both unforeseen and completely controlling, but I also find it to be a disrespectful act to both of my children who do not deserve to see this happen before their eyes.” she declares strongly, speaking with her hands and an open chest.

“I have given Chris several opportunities to handle  _ our  _ issues as peacefully and respectfully as possible, for the sake of our children and the fact that it has resorted to him attacking me both physically, mentally and emotionally breaks my heart.” her voice is overcome with emotion.

She takes another deep breath and shuts her eyes for a moment.

“Because of this..event, I will be drafting up an Emergency Restraining Order against Chris until our Custody Battle is settled once and for all in the safety of my children and me, and I will also officially, press charges against Chris on hopes that he is held accountable for his actions.”

And the press goes wild at that, everyone speaking over one another and shouting various questions at Amy in hopes that she’ll pick them to give a comment on whatever question they want to ask.

Kyle takes a step forward with a finger raised and calm demeanor.

“We will answer three questions and that’s all.” he declares, “You in the green shirt in the middle.”

A guy, who can’t be more than twenty-five years old, adjusts his glasses and faces Amy with a nervous glance.

“You mentioned your impending Custody Battle with Mr. Blake, can you give us any insight on what type of plan you desire?”

Amy leans forward into the microphone addressing the reporter head-on.

“In the best interest of my two children, I will be fighting for full physical custody of my children with no visitation on Chris’ end.” her eyes blue eyes aren’t filled with tears but instead filled with the sternness of a Mama Bear, protecting her Baby Cubs.

“Next question.” Kyle leans back in and points out an overweight reporter from Huffington Post.

“Is it possible for Mr. Blake to be sentenced to prison? If so, what’s the maximum he can be sentenced to the crime of Revenge Porn alone?

He better fucking get sentenced. 

Amy turns to Kyle for guidance and he steps in for Amy, who throws her hair behind her shoulder.

“The act of Revenge Porn is now legally considered both a civil and criminal law in all 50 states so yes, if Christopher is found guilty like we believe he should then he can face up to at least ten years in prison”

The crowd audibly gasps and murmurs at that in surprise.

“Last question…..you, Sir. in the black turtleneck.”

“The Atlantic.” the dark-skinned reporter clammors and pushes his phone out to record Amy’s response, “What is your response to Blake’s sister, Parker, who claims that you have been physically and verbally abusive to both Mr. Blake and your two children.”

He expects Amy to go red-faced and swear at that reporter until the cows fly over the goddamn moon but, she just gives a small nod and clears her throat.

“At the end of the day, this is a situation between both Christopher and I and it does not and should not include the opinions and statements of those who live 2,668.8 miles away. I understand that Parker is speaking from a place of... _ protection  _ for her brother but, you cannot speak on situations you simply don’t know.”

“Thank you so much for your time and I wish you all a nice rest of your day.” Kyle steps back into the microphone as the security guards usher Amy away from the podium and back around the building.

After a few minutes of silence in the green room, the door swings open revealing Amy in all her glory and he feels his heartbeat to life like a fucking drummer.

Everyone’s clamoring around her with news updates, congratulations, pats on the back but she falls silent the minute her eyes land on Dan who simply stands in the center of the room.

“What are you doing here?” her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

For a minute, when he looks at her, it’s like they’re the only two people in the whole fucking world. Just him and her and nothing holding them back, the way it should be.

Everyone's head whips towards him dramatically and he feels his palms get all sweaty.

“I was..I just wanted to make sure everything was okay.” he feigns and he’s never been happier to have a kid because it’s the perfect excuse for times like these.

She studies him carefully for a minute and turns to everyone behind her.

“Can everyone go to the halls for a minute.  _ Now.”  _ her voice is thick and demanding and no one waste time and promptly exits the green room with Michelle being the last to leave and shuts the door behind them.

When the door is shut, Amy crosses over to the couch and throws herself on it, placing her head in between her legs and letting out a soft sob.

“Why would he do this to me?” she demands, “Why would he do this?”

Fuck, this was awful

Seeing her so broken and hurt like this did something to him and he didn’t like it.

He doesn’t waste any time in sliding onto the couch next to her and letting her throw her head against his lap, letting the sobs take over her body and covering her mouth to hide her sobs of pain.

He rubs small circles on her back, shutting off the television with his free hand to avoid setting her off more.

“You don’t deserve this, Ames. You know you don’t”

She sobs even louder, “Maybe I do.” she shoots upright, the tears falling from her eyes like a waterfall, “All those times he screamed and yelled at me, I should’ve just taken it instead of fighting back.”

“And what? Hurt yourself even more? Amy, you don’t fucking deserve this so don’t you  _ dare _ try to sit here and convince yourself otherwise.”

She shakes her head, sniffling.

“I thought he was getting better.” she admits sadly, “I thought that us having Greyson would allow us to move on but then he goes and does this to me.” she slaps her hands against her face.

“Amy. You’re going to be okay.” he pulls her back into his chest, letting her snot and sob all over him,, discarding his worries about snotty clothing for later, “You’ve got the best Lawyer in DC.”

She shakes her head, “I don’t care about that! My naked body is floating all over the internet for strangers to see me. Do you know how pissed off my Dad would be?”

Uhh yeah, maybe it was best that Mr. Brookheimer wasn’t around to see this news clip of Amy.

“He’d be pissed off at Chris, not you because you’re not a fucking idiot, Amy.”

“Yes, I am.”

“No, you’re not.” Dan insists, getting frustrated with her self-doubt rearing its ugly head at the worst moment in her life. 

Amy was many things but an idiot was certainly not one of them.

“I am!” she cries out, swiping away at her tears, “He called me every degrading name in the book, threw me against the wall in front of Greyson and I stayed because I loved him.” her chest heaves up and down.

_ Fuck. _

He knew that it was bad and had gotten the indication that they were a little...handsy with one another but he didn’t know it was that bad. 

“Amy.” his mind is trying to process all of this, “He fucking hit you?” 

Then Amy’s eyes go round at him and she pauses the minute she’s realized what she’s revealed to him.

_ “Dan.. _ .Dan you can’t tell anybody about that, okay?” she pleads with him, “No one knows and I can’t handle that coming out too.”

He’s not interested in covering Chris’ ass when he’s too busy abusing Amy and potentially his daughter. 

“Has he touched Meagan?” Dan can’t hide the anger in his voice.

Amy breaks into a puddle of tears, unable to talk as she hangs her head in shame.

He’s too pissed at the possibility now.

“Amy.” his voice is thick with anger, “Has he touched Meagan?”

“No.” she insists, finally looking him in the eye, “He only put his hands on me for the first time two months ago, that’s it. I promise.”

“He still touched you, Amy.” Dan’s mind is racing to all of the possible ways he could kill Chris with his bare hands in the next ten minutes to rid Amy of a burden.

She takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair and looks up at him pleadingly.

“You can’t tell  _ anybody _ , Dan.” she begs with teary eyes, “You have to promise me this one thing.”

From the frantic look in her eye, he can tell this means a lot to her and he’s too scared to ask why. 

Why is she still defending this man that’s caused her so much pain? It’s not healthy by any means and it’s scary that she hasn’t realized or taken that into consideration by now. 

He doesn’t promise her anything because it’s wrong and he’s not going along with this plan to keep Chris protected. 

“Come here.” he opens his arms wide and lets Amy wrap an arm around his body and he can practically hear her rapid heartbeat.

He hears her trying to control her breathing and he helps her but inhaling and exhaling with her, to let her know he’s right there and that nobody is going to come and harm her as long as he’s around.

And that’s what he intends to do.

* * *

 

_ Hey Amy Brookheimer, Life Isn't a Fashion Show-Stop Using Your Scandals to Show Off Your Fashion Sense _

Fox News

_ Amy Brookheimer enlists the help of famed Celebrity Lawyer, Kyle Wescott for her upcoming custody battle against her ex-partner, Chris Blake. _

Politico

_ “Not only do I find this attack both unforeseen and completely controlling, but I also find it to be a disrespectful act to both of my children who do not deserve to see this happen before their eyes" Amy Brookheimer speaks out for the first time on Chris Blake leaking explicit videos of her. [Video] _

ABC News

_ Amy Brookheimer wears a $1200 Givenchy teal pantsuit in her first public appearance since the Chris Blake scandal. _

People

_ Buckle Your Seat Belts, The Brookheimer and Blake feud just got hotter.  _

Slate

* * *

“Oh my fucking god.” Amy’s throat collapses as she enters the door ahead of Dan, stopping in her tracks as she takes in the scenes of her home.

Everything’s broken.

Literally everything is broken.

There’s furniture flipped onto its side, framed photos stamped with a strong crack and glass shards lining the floors literally everywhere.

He enters the door last so he walks right into Amy since his eyes and focus are both so transfixed on the destruction of the once beautiful home. As he bumps into her, his focus snaps back into reality and he hears Amy’s rapid breaths.

“He...he did this. He had to have done this.” she stumbles out, her back still firmly against Dan’s.

Yeah, no denying that.

He reaches out to just touch her because he figures if he can at least touch her, she can somewhat calm down.

But he reaches out too soon because she struts over to a small black hall table and picks up a broken framed photo of her, Chris and a young Meagan at what seems to be a Disneyland-type amusement park.

She stands there for a moment, not moving or saying anything and it worries him to an imminent degree.

He can handle Amy screaming.

He can handle Amy cursing.

But he sure as hell can’t Amy _ not  _ saying anything.

“Ames-”

“He got me this.” she sadly admits, “...for our first Christmas together, he got me this.”

“Amy-”

“I hate him.” her voice is slow and meek.

He tries to put his hand on her shoulder but e’s practically thrown back as Amy takes the frame and throws it against the wall, sending shatters of glass everywhere.

“I hate him!” she screams out, a loud sob emerging from her throat, “I fucking hate him!” her shoulders bounce in emotion.

Then there’s a muffled scream coming from the stairs.

The scream alone isn’t spine-tingling by any means but, it’s strained and muffled enough to stop both he and Amy in their tracks.

“What was that?” Amy turns around to face him, her face furiously red-hot as her chest heaves up and down with each deep breath.

He opens his mouth to speak but the scream takes over again.

“I don’t know.” he admits, taking a chance to look around the foyer and living room of the expansive house, “Is Chris’ car here-”

The scream happens again and there’s a feeling of fire and rage that takes over his chest and he immediately feels sick to his stomach.

He wastes no time in flying up the stairs in a stomping fury and locating Meagan’s bedroom door-it’s shut.

He focuses his energy on listening to the door and trying to indicate if his suspicion is true and it’s Meagan releasing those screams of help behind her door.

He goes to twist open the doorknob but it’s locked much to his surprise and he settles on pressing his ear to the door and knocking non-stop against the door to try and break it open.

“Meags? Meagan is that you?”

There’s another muffled scream.

Amy approaches him from behind, her face flushed with exhaust as her eyes are round at the scene unfolding before her.

“Meagan? Are you in here?” Amy tries, approaching him from behind.

This time there’s a slam against the wall and the sounds of destruction taking place behind the door.

“How do you unlock the door?”

“I don’t know. She has to unlock it..” Amy’s voice is frantic and full of panic as she stands to her toes and runs her fingers along the top of the door frame, groaning when she pulls her fingers back and sees the dust on her fingertips.

“Meagan? It’s Dad...I’m gonna break the door down, okay? Stay away from the door.” 

The sound of the muffled scream erupts again and there’s the sound of something falling over and slamming against the floor.

He braces his hand on the doorknob as he takes a step back and braces himself.

The first time he slams himself against the door, the vibrations are so strong he almost knocks his glasses off.

The second time he does it...no result.

Finally, at around the tenth (or really, twelfth) attempt, he finally breaks the door open and there’s nothing that can prepare him for what’s waiting for them behind the door.

There’s Meagan, on her bed, all alone, tied up, laying on her stomach, with her pajama shorts discarded on the floor.

“Oh my god.” Amy darts past him and runs straight to the bed, “Meagan.”

Meagan is whimpering and kicking her legs into the air.

Amy slowly rips the cloth covering Meagan’s mouth off of her face almost instantly and takes the girl’s trembling hands in her hands, their eyes locking for the first time in ages.

“Meags? What happened?” he makes his way over to the bed, his heart racing a million miles a minute, “Talk to us.”

Meagan opens her mouth to speak but a loud, racking sob escapes her throat and she’s left hyperventilating in Amy’s arms, her tear-stained eyes going bright red with tears.

“I.. _ I.. _ ”

He takes a good look at the girl’s face.

She had heavy bags stamped underneath both of her eyes, bright purple and blue bruises lining her soft face and her wrists and ankles are distractingly bright red thanks to the rope bounding them.

“Meagan. Look at me, what’s wrong?” Amy’s voice is panicked, using her hands to try her best to untangle the ropes around her wrist as Dan works on the ropes around the ankles.

Meagan takes a deep breath but falls into a surge of tears.

“Who did this to you?” Dan demands as calmly as possible, finally releasing her from the ties around her ankles.

Meagan shakes her head defiantly.

“I can’t tell you.” she whines out, “...he said if I told anyone he would kill me and he has a gun and..I just can’t tell you.”

“He who?” Amy stops untangling the rope, “you have to tell us who.”

Dan stands to his feet, reaching out to grab a pair of scissors from Meagan’s desk.

“Are they still here?” his voice is low and cautious, beginning to look around the room for a possible intruder.

She shakes her head intensely, her breathing pace picking up at a quicker rate.

“He..he left.”

“How long ago?” Amy snatches the scissors from Dan’s hands, using them to cut her wrist free from the rope strangling them together. 

“I don’t know.” Meagan’s voice breaks in the middle, the tears sliding down her face.

Dan reaches his hands out ever so slightly and touches a few of the bruises stamped on her blank face.

_ “Meagan. _ Who did this?” Dan tries again over the sound of Meagan breaking down into tears once again.

There’s a moment of silence.

For a second, as Meagan’s head hangs down in shame, out of the corner of his eye, he sees Amy looking up at him with a look that’s only reserved when she genuinely doesn’t know what to do next.

She’s scared.

And she’s scared fucking shitless.

And he doesn’t exactly blame her.

“It was Chris’ friend.” she admits softly, “...his friend, Lionel. He did it.”

“Did what?” Amy’s voice trembles ever so slightly.

“He...he raped me.”

And when he hears that?

Everything is red.

Quite literally red.

He has to leave the room for a brief moment to actually avoid exploding in front of both Amy and Meagan in a moment like this. 

All he wants to do now is to take both Meagan and Amy as far away from this house as possible, get the two of them into the best therapist office in DC and fucking kill Chris with his own bare hands.

He pulls his phone out and begins dialing the police to get them over here as soon as possible because if he doesn’t keep his mind busy for the next few minutes, he’s going to lose what’s left of his goddamn mind.

After the call is placed, he makes his way back into Meagan’s room and is met with Meagan trembling in Amy’s arms as Amy tries her best to bite back her own tears for the sake of her daughter.

“The cops are on their way,” he announces to the room, taking a seat on the bed right next to Amy and Meagan, placing a gentle back on and rubbing his hand in small circles to keep his mind busy.

Meagan looks up from Amy’s chest wtih round eyes.

“No, Dad. I can’t...I can’t say anything.” she protests, “He said he’d kill me and he put a gun to my head.” she clutches at her chest.

She turns to Amy with wide-eyes, basically pleading with her through her tearful gaze to tell her that everything’s going to be okay and not to worry about anything because she has everything under control.

But Amy can’t tell her that.

There’s so much going on with Amy in her personal and professional life that Dan’s not even sure she can handle another potential scandal with her child at this point.

“Nobody’s going to kill you.” Dan chimes in, “No one is going to touch you, okay? 

Meagan winces out a sob.

“He had a gun, Dad.” her chest heaves up and down, “..he told me he’d kill me.” 

“He’s not going to.” Dan pulls her into his grasp and runs his hands over her hair, “no one’s going to touch you as long as we’re here, okay?” 

Meagan musters out a sad nod and holds herself closer to Dan, her loud tears filling the room as both he and Amy hold the kid as closely as possible.

At this point in time, nothing else matters to him.

As it should.

* * *

 

Lucky for them, the police show up about ten minutes after Dan's placed the call.

But for him, it feels like a lifetime.

There's an Officer by the name of Officer McKenna and a pair of Detectives who stalks around Meagan's room with a camera in tow, snapping away at various pieces of furniture and every visible inch of the girl's room.

"Meagan." Amy walks with Officer McKenna following behind her, "This is Officer McKenna, are you okay with her interviewing you?" 

Meagan looks up from her lap, her blonde hair falling into her eyes as she brings her knees closer to her chest, keeping the thick cover wrapped firmly around her body.

Meagan's Chocolate eyes are fully blown at the dark-skinned woman in front of her as her body trembles in fear, unsure of what to do or how to act thanks to the Detectives stalking around her bedroom.

"Okay." she musters out.

Ginger takes a seat on Meagan's office desk as both Dan and Amy sit on the edge of Meagan's bed, keeping their eyes on the shaken girl.

This was going to be the first time they both heard details about what actually happened and Dan wasn't sure if he was ready to hear.

He knew that no matter what he heard, he was ready to kill Chris with his bare hands for letting this happen to his daughter.

Not that there's ever a right girl to rape but, Lionel definitely picked the wrong girl today because Dan knows he isn't ready to see this dark side of him emerge from the shadows over this.

"Meagan. I'm going to ask you a few questions about what happened and I want you to answer them as best as you can, okay? If it ever gets too tough to answer a question or you need a break, let me know."

Meagan blinks her eyes in agreement and takes a deep breath.

McKenna flips open her notebook, her sunglasses resting on the top of her head.

"How long ago would you say this happened?" McKenna looks up and gives Meagan a sympathetic look.

Meagan reaches out to hold onto Amy's hand as if she's a lifesaver and she's drowning in the middle of the sea, needing support.

"I don't know a specific time but a few hours ago."

McKenna scribbles that down.

"Can you give us any details on how the suspect approached you? It's fine if you can't."

Meagan takes a deep breath, using her free hand to wipe away at her tears as they slide down her cheek.

"Last night, I was really upset about...stuff, so I went to sleep, then when I woke up this morning, my stepdad was gone and I noticed that everything was broken so, I came back to my room to call my Mom because I thought someone broke in and I was really scared and when I picked up my phone, he came from behind and took it out of my hands and forced me to get on the bed."

"So you were alone?"

"This Morning I was but once I saw what the house looked like, I didn't want to be alone so I tried to call my Mom." 

Dan looks over to Amy as her face falls in guilt and her head hangs in shame.

McKenna nods and scribbles that down.

"How did you react when he first approached you?"

"I was scared." the teenage girl cries out in shame, "I..I didn't know what he was going to do. At first, I thought he was going to kill me so I tried to fight it but, he was so much bigger than I was."

When he looks to Amy for her reaction, she's mute and her eyes are on the ground, not daring to look up at Meagan for a second because if she does, Dan knows she'll fall into a fit of tears.

And Dan doesn't know if he's mentally prepared to deal with two sobbing Brookheimer in one day at the same damn time.

"So he pinned you down?" McKenna looks up for clarification.

"He..." Meagan thinks for a minute and breaks down into tears again, " _He_ used the ribbon from my pointe shoes to tie me up, so I wouldn't move."

A young Detective picks up one of the soft pink strings from the floor and discards them in a paper bag labeled 'Evidence' and it makes everything so much more real.

"Did he threaten you?" 

"He held a gun up to my head and told me if I made any noise he'd kill me." 

A gun. 

He needs a goddamn gun at this point.

McKenna takes a deep breath as she pauses from writing in her notebook and runs a hand through her hair, looking at both Dan and Amy.

"I assume you two found her here?"

Dan musters out a nod since Amy's so out of it.

"We found her here, yes."

McKenna nods at that and takes a look at her notebook.

"I know your parents are in the room but would you feel comfortable disclosing what is it he did to you sexually? Just so we have more of a clear understanding of what happened?."

Meagan's breathing picks up as she uses her free hand to nervously play with the covers of her Tinkerbell blanket.

"He made me perform oral sex on him and then he...raped me."

"Vaginally or anally?"

There's a moment of silence.

"Both," Meagan whispers ashamed, her voice so quiet it sounds paper-thin.

McKenna closes her notepad at that and looks at both Dan and Amy.

"We need to ger her to a hospital immediately. There is someone downstairs ready to take an oral sample of her." McKenna stands to her feet, Dan following suit as Amy remains stoic on the bed. 

"Can I change my clothes, please?"

"You can change at the hospital. Right now, your clothes qualify as evidence for us to arrest the man who did this to you. We'll hold off on the remaining questions until you've been examined at the hospital. Meagan, look at me."

Meagan brings her head up.

"You're going to be alright, I promise."

"Are you sure?" Meagan cries out, breaking down mid-sentence.

"I'm sure." McKenna consoles her and offers her a hand to help her from the bed.

They watch as McKenna escorts Meagan from the bedroom, the Detectives following and leaving both Dan and Amy alone for what seems like the millionth time today.

Amy stands from the bed in a surge of energy, shoving her hands in her hair and releasing a loud sob that overtakes her entire body.

"Ames-"

"Greyson...I have to-I have to get him-"

 _"Amy."_ Dan grabs a hold of her, making her look him straight in the eye, "He's with Michelle. Nothing's going to happen to him. Madelyn dropped him off with Michelle, he's fine."

"Chris will get him." Amy's voice breaks in the middle, "...he'll get him and I'll never see him again."

"No, he won't, he won't."

"How do you know?"

"You made Michelle his Godmom right?" Dan reminds her.

She musters out a weak nod.

"Michelle's not going to let anybody get that kid that isn't you, okay? Trust me when I say she won't."

Amy takes a deep breath at that look around the room and breaking down yet again.

Her shoulders hunch over as she sobs so hard, she's practically hyperventilating and Dan has no choice but to hold her.

And if that's what she needs.

He'll do it for her.

* * *

 

“Chris? Chris open the goddamn door.” she slams her fist against the wooden door of Chris's house, her voice hitting an all-time high.

Silence.

She slams her fist again, “Chris. Chris,  _ please _ open the fucking door.” her voice warbles in emotion.

She didn’t care that it was two in the morning and that she was dressed in her pajamas as she stood on his porch. 

It was his fault that she couldn’t go to sleep and her mind was racing all over the fucking place.

“Chris.” she slams her fingers against the doorbell, the chime sending a jolt of vibration through the walls of the large home.

To her surprise, the door swings open, revealing Chris who stands behind the screen door with a knowing look of glum on his soft features.

“Ames, what are you doing here?” he keeps his eyes down.

Seeing him, right here in front of her absolutely kills her. 

He was supposed to be her person. Someone that loved her and did his best to keep her out of harm’s way. Now, looking into the same pair of eyes she’s once fell in love with, she feels nothing but rage and heartbreak seething inside of her.

“I can’t sleep.” she admits, “I can’t fucking  _ function _ because of what you did to me and the kids and I just don’t know why you did it.”

He nervously rubs his hand up and down his arm.

“Amy. Now’s not the time.” he warns her with a slow voice, “I think you should go.”

“It’s never the time!” she throws her hands in the air frustrated, “It’s never the right time for us to sit down and talk about how you screwed me over for the millionth time.”

“Amy-”

“Were you even thinking about Meagan or Grey?” her throat closes up mid-sentence, “Do you even realize that I have to someday explain to Greyson why his father posted naked photos and videos of me on the Internet or explain to Meagan that her stepdad’s friend raping her  _ isn’t _ her fault?”

Chris just shrugs; keeping his eyes on the ground.

“Why aren’t you fucking saying anything?” she strikes the screen protector with her bare hands, the tears now streaming down her face, “Don’t you see what you’ve fucking done to me?”

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“How about an apology?” her voice raises, “Why can’t you just accept that you fucked me over yet again and apologize for it?”

“Goodbye, Amy.” he takes a step back and shuts the door right in her face and it takes everything in her to not scream at the top of her goddamn lungs.

It doesn’t mean she doesn’t cry though.

“Chris, open the door.” 

“Go home, Amy.”

“Open the door.” she tries again.

“Amy, please, go home.” his voice is strained.

“Open the fucking door!” she roars almost instantly, her chest heaving up and down with each breath she takes, “Open the door and speak to me like a fucking man already.”

He doesn’t respond.

But knowing him, he’s probably right behind the door, conjuring up another tweet about how much of a ‘Crazy Bitch’ she is.

“All of this is  _ your  _ fault, Chris.” she practically screams at the door, “You’re the fucking reason why I look like a goddamn idiot in front of the whole fucking world! The worst thing about all of this is that I’m still in love with you and I probably always will be and it fucking disgusts me that you treat me like this. I’ve loved you unconditionally for four years, carried our baby and have created this life with you because I love you but you can’t even open the fucking door to have a conversation with me!”

Silence.

“Everyone told me I should’ve left you for all these years and I didn’t listen because I gave you the benefit of the fucking doubt only for you to turn around and do all of this shit to me.” the memories sting her harshly, “I hate you, I hate you _ so _ fucking much for what you’ve done to me.”

“Then why don’t you fucking leave?”

“Because I fucking love you!” she screams at the door, not holding back, “I love you...and you don’t fucking deserve it and I’m just so fucking hurt as to why you would do all of this to me.”

Again, Silence.

“That doesn’t mean shit to me, you told Dan you love him.”

“If you knew me as well as you think you do then you’d know that all I’ve ever wanted to be with is you.” she cries out, “But I can’t fucking do this. I’m not doing this anymore.”

“What are you trying to say?” 

“We’re done.” she declares strongly, “I’m taking full custody of the kids and I’m fucking leaving. Don’t worry about me stopping the flow of your harlot traffic because I won’t be around to see it anymore. So you can officially go fuck yourself for all I fucking care.”

The door swings back open, revealing Chris whose now red-hot and furious.

“You think you’re going to take my fucking kids just like that?” 

“Yes.” she declares strongly, “I don’t care what it is I have to do, I’m getting them and you can’t fucking stop me.” 

He puts a hand on her wrist, firmly grasping it.

“Watch me.” he challenges her, his eyes burning a hole into her, “You’re not taking my kids, Sweetheart.” 

She squirms to get out of his grasp and she practically has to twist her body in every direction to get him off of her. 

“They’re my kids, Chris. You couldn’t have given a flying fuck about them unless one of your fucking playmates were holding them.” she accuses him.

“If you think for one second I’m letting you take both of my kids away from me and raising them with that fucking asshole, you’ve got another thing coming. I will leak every fucking video of you sucking my dick to make sure you don’t get them, you fucking slut.”

She wastes no time in slapping the ever-loving shit out of him.

She steps away once she’s done it, her chest heaving up and down.

“My daughter is in a hospital bed because you let her get raped by one of your goons. My son was born prematurely and all you were worried about was getting that goddamn house in Los Angeles. You never cared about them and you never will care about them, Chris. So this is officially me telling you to go fuck yourself and leave my kids and I the fuck alone because when it comes to my kids, I  _ never  _ lose.” she spits at him.

Chris laughs in her face at that, taking a step back into his house.

“All of this could be resolved if you just come in here and do what it is you do best. Get on your knees and apologize so I can come all over your face the way you like it.” he smirks at her.

“Go fuck yourself.” she grits out at him, meaning it more than ever.

This means battle. 

And she’s going to win.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment and or kudos!
> 
> It's both heavily encouraged and greatly appreciated!


	15. You Oughta Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She supposes she blocked a lot of the gruesome, exhausting memories of dealing with an infant Meagan ages ago because of how scary it was.
> 
> Sure, she had the Babysitters and her parents around to help her out during the day but in the wee hours of the night and on the long-nights of whatever campaign trip they were on, it was all Amy.
> 
> Her hope with having Greyson was that she wouldn’t be alone this time around and have Chris around to help her since Grey was born during a fucking scandal.
> 
> But again, she’s found herself all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is currently 6:20 am as I write this note to you all.
> 
> As this story comes to a close, I want to take this time to thank every single one of you for your outpour of love and support with this story. When I first started writing this story, I didn't know if anyone would even read it...and now to have over 2,000 reads for this story alone is truly amazing! Thank you so much!
> 
> Another chapter was added because this story is expanding more than I could've ever imagined and a few more (good) things happen! 
> 
> Once you're done reading, make sure to let me know what you thought about it and leave me a comment and message me on Tumblr!
> 
> Again, thank you all for your love and support!
> 
> Without further ado, here's chapter 15 of 'If I Never See Your Face Again'!
> 
> Enjoy!

 

> _And I'm here, to remind you_
> 
>   
>  _Of the mess you left when you went away_
> 
>   
>  _It's not fair, to deny me_
> 
>   
>  _Of the cross I bear that you gave to me_
> 
>  
> 
> _ -'You Oughta Know' by Alanis Morissette _

* * *

 

Amy's moving around in her sleep.

He doesn't blame her for one minute though.

Ever since they returned to his house from the hospital a few hours ago, she's been just out of it and in fight or flight mode.

Since she's been dealing with Greyson (who wakes up in the middle of the night for god knows what), her body is a ticking alarm clock and she's ready to get up and do whatever baby-related task at any hour of the day.

But now, he's found her in a deep slumber.

And he knows it's a deep sleep because she has an arm over his waist, pinning him down with her leg draped over him possessively to ensure he won't go anywhere.

To get her like this, he had to damn near force-feed her a pair of sleeping pills to just bring her down a notch.

It's not like he was doing any better than she was, he was a fucking wreck as well but, he figured if anyone needed sleep after all of this, it was Amy so, he convinced her to take the pills and sleep.

They've been home for about three hours and he hasn't slept a wink.

His mind is too busy wondering if Meagan's alright and whether or not he needs to get up and go check on her for what'll be the millionth time in that hour alone.

At the hospital, the Doctors had informed them that while she didn't pick up any injuries from the rape itself, she'll still be dealing with a few ugly bumps and bruises stamped all over her body and it fucking kills him.

His Meagan is beautiful and perfect and has milky white skin.

His Meagan isn't bruised and battered.

And seeing his kid with a purple ugly bruise stamped right on her neck fuels him with such rage that his fist hasn't unclenched from the position it's been in since they found her tied up in the bedroom hours ago.

It was a given that they were taking this Lionel fucker straight to court the minute they were all equipped and ready to win the case because there was no way in hell he or Amy would ever put their kid through any of that unless she had a fighting chance.

They just needed to get away for a few hours, escape all of the madness.

Then out of nowhere, Amy shoots up like a bullet underneath the covers, releasing an ear-splitting scream that's sure to wake the entirety of DC the fuck up.

"Ames." he's up with her, trying to shake her awake, "Ames...Ames, it's me."

He flips on the lights of the room, revealing a distressed Amy who shakes feverishly her arms locking around her throat and her hair a disheveled mess.

"I...I...where's Meagan?" her voice is distressed and demanding, "Where is she?" 

"She's asleep in her room." he tries to wrangle her shaking limbs, "Ames...Amy look at me." 

It takes a while to get her to calm down and breathe as normal as she can but he gets her there and before he knows it, she's blowing her cheeks out in exasperation.

"And Greyson." her voice edges into panic once again, "Where is he?" 

"Asleep in Meagan's room, with Meagan." he reaches out to rub her shoulder, "Ames...I think you had a nightmare."

"No. I didn't." she insists strongly, "I just...I'm worried, that's all."

"Preach to the choir." he yawns, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

His room is quiet and for a brief minute, it takes him a while to remember how they both ended up in his bed.

Then it dawns on him.

He remembers, so vividly, finding Amy sobbing her eyes out in his shower after they all returned for the hospital, her not locking the door and just sitting on the marble floor, letting the hot water pour over her shaking body.

He had to shut off the water and change her into one of his old workout shirts just to keep her from shivering and let her cry in his arms until she passed out from the exhaustion of her tears.

Part of him wants to cry just to get it over with because the last time he's dealt with this much emotion before was when he was a kid and a group of kids had beat him up outside of school and stole his brand new bicycle and shoes he had gotten for Christmas.

But seeing the state both Amy and Meagan are both in, he knows for a fact that he can't let his emotions get the best of him for one minute.

"You can go check on them if you want." he offers, gesturing towards the door, "I checked on her about an hour ago and she's asleep."

She tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear and takes a deep breath.

"I just...I know she's not okay." Amy's head hangs as her voice breaks in the middle softly, "She's probably in there, blaming herself for all of this and that _fucking_ kills me." 

_"Ames."_

_"_ She needs me but she'll never tell me that." her throat closes up, "When it was happening, she was probably wishing that we could be there to stop it from happening but we weren't because we were out extinguishing the fire Chris set out."

"There's no way we could've known that would've happened to her." Dan insists, "And if we had the slightest idea of what could've possibly happened..we would've been there before anything happened."

"We were too late, Dan." the tears sting in her eyes, "We were too late and now my baby is in pain and there's nothing we can do to make her know that none of this was her fa-"

"Mommy? Dad?" they hear a timid voice from Dan's door.

They look up and are met with Meagan whose body shakes furiously, her Chocolate pupils fully dilated and her arms wrapped around her body self-consciously.

"Meags." Amy's out of the bed and on her feet, approaching the shaking girl as fast as her legs take her, "Are you okay, baby? What's wrong?"

Amy has Meagan's face in her hands and from the chandelier light on Dan's ceiling, he can see the resemblance between the two so vividly it's scary.

Same oval-diamond eye shape, full lips, small nose and long blonde hair cascading down their backs but in differing styles; Amy's hair is a wavy mane and Meagan's bunter blonde locks are perfectly braided into two large braids.

"I can't sleep." Meagan's breathing becomes erratic, "Every time I...close my eyes, I feel like he's coming to get me and-"

"Come here, baby." Amy pulls her in for a hug, letting the girl wrap her arms around Amy's neck as she begins to sob loudly.

Her cries become more pained and harder to stop which causes Amy to bite back tears of her own and if Dan sees this image for one more minute, he's going to pull a Catherine Meyer and get emotional all over the damn place.

"I'm so sorry." Amy whispers so quietly he's not even sure if he's heard her correctly, "I'm so sorry this happened to you, baby."

He stands to his feet and crosses over to where the two blondes are crying into one another's arms and he pulls her the two of them in, offering them a body to lean on.

Meagan pulls away from Amy to look up at Dan, her heavy-lidded eyes blinking at him in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Daddy." she apologizes, "I just..I couldn't-"

"Come here, kid." he pulls her against his chest and places a kiss on the crown of her head.

Amy takes a step back to let Meagan have her moment with Dan but Dan knows better.

They're both suffering and Amy needs comfort too.

So, he pulls her into his chest and rests his chin on the top of Amy's head, running his free hand through Amy's messy hair.

It's not much but it's a start.

* * *

  _Exclusive: Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake allegedly spent the Holliday Season apart._

Rumors on The Hill

_ Amy Brookheimer with her children, Meagan (15) and Greyson (1 Month) are photographed going for a stroll in Downtown DC the day after Christmas amid reports that her custody battle with her ex, Chris Blake, is heating up. _

Life & Style

_ "Everything I do is for you, my little guy." Chris Blake gets a tattoo dedicated to his son, Greyson, on his wrist. Click HERE to check it out. _

Daily Mail

_ Amy Brookheimer breaks social media hiatus and posts a photo of her and her kids on Instagram with a cryptic black heart emoji. Is she hinting at her recent breakup with Chris Blake? _

PopSugar

_Toy Cars, Tiffany's Necklaces, IPads and Toys. Here's an exclusive list of everything Chris Blake gifted his children for their week-late Christmas celebration with his kids._

People

_ Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake get into a HEATED Twitter exchange after Blake reveals in a recent interview that she's only let him see their children for 'two days' in December. _

Reuters

_ We analyzed and broke down some of the best sexual positions from Chris Blake and Amy Brookheimer's sex tape and here's what we learned. _

The Cut

_ PornHub offers Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS for more sex-tapes but we're told Amy has "obviously declined the offer without hesitation" _

Buzzfeed News

_ Did Amy Brookheimer get a boob job? Check out the before and after photos NOW. _

Men's Health

_ "They can barely stand to be in the same room." a source close to Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake reveal details on where the relationship stands now. _

E! Online

_ SPOTTED: Chris Blake gets cozy with Playboy model, Mary-Beth Hanes, in Las Vegas during New Year's Weekend. _

Associated Press

  _"Amy is furious at the fact that Chris has gotten with someone so soon. She thinks it's disrespectful to her and the kids that Chris would do this so soon." a source close to Amy Brookheimer reveals Amy's feelings on Chris 'seeing' Mary-Beth Hanes._

Slate

* * *

_ Chris Blake: His Side. _

_ Interviewed by his sister, Parker Blake _

Playboy Magazine

**On His Ex, Amy Brookheimer**

 

> PB: "You mentioned in a recent interview that you've only seen your two children, Meagan and Greyson, twice in the month of December. What's that like?"
> 
> CB: (sighs) "It was one of the roughest moments of my life. You know, I love those kids... _.f****ng_ love those kids, man and the fact that I'm being probited from seeing them over petty bullshit actually makes me quite angry." 
> 
> PB: "When did you know you wanted to be a father?"
> 
> CB: "Surprisingly when I met Greyson's mother _[Blake's ex-partner, Amy Brookheimer]_. She had a kid of her own from a previous relationship and from that alone, I was dealing with a kid for what seemed like the first time in my life and after a few months of raising Meagan as my own, I knew that this was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life."
> 
> PB: "Your relationship with Amy [Brookheimer] has released a lot of press attention both good and bad. Did this ever bother you?"
> 
> CB: "It does. No one knows this about Amy but, she's always been the jealous type when it comes to me. To an extent, I do understand where she's coming from because in my past, I have had women flock to me but when I decided to be with Amy, I only wanted to be with her and for some reason, she just wouldn't believe me."
> 
> PB: "Did that ever hurt you? Loving someone and them not believing it or even taking advantage of it"
> 
> CB: (sighs) "It does. When I left LA for DC, I left the party life and all of that reckless b******t I did behind me because I was looking forward to starting the next phase of my life. With Amy and I getting together, I saw that as us possibly getting married and living that old song and dance because that's what I wanted and I still do."
> 
> PB: "Do you think you'll ever get back together with her?"
> 
> CB: (laughs) "No, no. That phase of my life is over and I can no longer be apart of a situation as toxic as the enviornment she created between us. At this point, I think the safest thing for both of us would be to just live our lives seperately and focus on raising our children."

* * *

 “Ms. Brookheimer and Mr. Blake, thank you both for taking times out of your busy schedules so we can all sit down an-”

“Let’s skip the theatrics and get to Ms, Brookheimer’s demands because from the look on her face it looks like we can be here all day.” Chris interrupts his eyes hidden behind his aviator sunglasses.

“Oh my fucking god..” she can’t help but shake her head, “will you shut the fuck up? Nobody’s in the fucking mood to deal with you and your bullshit, Chris.”

She feels Kyle reach his hand out and place it on her shoulder, almost pulling her back from leaning over the table.

“What my client means to say is that we’re not interested in any smooth-talking tactics from Mr, Blake, we’re here for business.” 

“As are we,” Parker speaks up, her eyes burning a hole into both Kyle and Amy with deep hatred, “whenever Ms. Brookheimer is done with her tantrum, Mr. Blake and I will like to begin this meeting.”

God, this was going to take forever.

The poor man, who can’t be older than 35 just swallows at that and looks at both she and Chris in clear confusion.

“Well, I am advised to inform you all that because this is Ms. Brookheimer and Mr. Blake’s official joint mediation session, we ask that their legal representation present and explain the documents as the two of them ask any questions I may have for them regarding their desired requests must be answered by only them.” the red-haired mediator informs them, “Does that sound like a plan?” 

“Yes.” Amy and Kyle respond in unison

“Yes,” Parker replies a beat late, her eyes are still rough on Amy.

_ “Whatever.”  _ Chris pinches the bridge of his nose leaning back in his seat, “Ladies first.” he beckons a hand to Amy and Kyle, not bothering to remove his glasses.

Amy looks over to Kyle who nods at that and begins to rifle through a manilla envelope and settling on a set of stapled papers divided by 7 different colored highlighters representing the different days of the week-Kyle’s idea.

“Because of several events that have partaken in the past few weeks, my client feels as though the next logical step to ensure the safety of her children is to request full sole custody of both of her children along with a monthly payment of $52,000 in child support.”

“Fifty-two  _ thousand _ dollars?” Chris’ body lurches forward in disbelief, “Are you out of your goddamn mind?” 

“That alone is the cost of my fucking living room that  _ you  _ destroyed. It’s the least you can do.” she retorts, not backing down

“Oh, are we paying off one another’s reconstruction bills?” Chris squares his shoulders up, “because if that’s the case, I’d like to forward Ms. Brookheimer the bill of redoing my upstairs walls in my house on McGuill Terrace. During one of her many tantrums, she formed several holes in the wall.”

“The money is for the children.” Kyle ignores him, turning her direction to the mediator, “During the summer, when Meagan is done with school, Ms. Brookheimer plans on enrolling her into the Caron Rehabilitation Center in Pennsylvania where she can get the treatment she needs while Greyson’s pediatrician has discovered that he needs two medications to help treat his BD.”

“I  _ see. _ ” the mediator inspects the stapled papers closely, adjusting his glasses on the tip of his nose, “...do we have any documentation of Greyson’s diagnosis.”

“This is bullshit, nothing’s wrong with him.” Chris protests, leaning back in his seat dismissively.

“How _ dare  _ you?” Amy cuts off Kyle’s long-worded assessment; her voice high in offense, “..have you no shame?” 

“In my client’s defense, there’s no way for him to have known about this  _ alleged  _ ‘diagnosis’ because Ms. Brookheimer has not allowed Mr. Blake to see their son in almost a week.” Parker pushes her thick black frames up her nose.

“Ms. Blake, it behooves me to inform you that there’s nothing alleged about Greyson’s diagnosis.” Kyle jumps in the minute Amy opens her mouth to speak her mind, “shortly after his birth, his Doctors had noticed it and confirmed it hours after and according to the birth statement, both parents were present.”

Chris groans at that dramatically, sticking his bottom lip out in a pout.

_ “Anyways…”  _ Kyle puts his hands on the table and sighs, “My team and I have used the Custody Calculator of DC to determine an appropriate amount for child support and the amount we’re presenting seems to be the most appropriate.”

The mediator jots down a few notes on his legal notepad and nods along with Kyle’s instruction.

“Ms. Brookheimer, I know that your request is for full custody but I am required to ask you if you’re willing to meet in the middle and possibly allow visitation rights to Mr. Blake.”

“No, I’m not interested.” she wastes no time, “I don’t want my children anywhere near him.”

“You’re being unreasonable.” Chris leans forward against the wooden table.

“I’m doing this for the kids, something you haven’t put much thought into doing.” the words leave her mouth before she can help it.

“The kids adore me.” Chris claims, “You keeping them from me isn’t fair.”

“They’re not safe around you, Chris.” she shakes her head, “Meagan is frightened to be near you and Greyson can’t be around that environment anymore.”

And with that, they’re arguing all over again.

Whenever they argue, she can’t exactly place what it is they’re arguing about because they’re typically both screaming obscenities at one another and trying to out-shout the other.

Eventually, the mediator gets them to calm down and he turns the floor over to Parker so she can present Chris’ Custody Request.

And it goes about as well as she imagined.

“I’m _ not  _ giving you a million fucking dollars, Chris.”

“It’s for the kids, Amy.” Chris uses her line with a sarcastic tone, “Not to mention the fact that I need to go to fucking therapy after the bullshit you pulled on me.”

“I didn’t do shit to you, Chris.” she defends herself, “..and a million dollars, in general, is too much. Nobody needs that much money.”

“Mr. Blake has proven himself to be a dedicated father to both Meagan and Greyson and the fact that he’s willingly addressing these media scandals head-on shows his dedication to his children,” Parker speaks up matter-of-factly

It’s shows something but dedication is certainly not it.

“Ms. Blake while I do applaud Mr. Blake for doing his best to parent his children under the circumstances of a very public scandal, I would wait before applauding a fish for swimming.” Kyle adjusts his glasses, “He is Greyson’s father and Meagan’s legal Stepfather, we shouldn’t be rewarding him for parenting when he should be doing that anyway.”

“Regardless of Ms. Brookheimer and Mr. Wescott trying to downplay the hard work of my client, we are asking for full custody of both children with a child support payment of $1 million.”

“Well tell your client that there’s no way in hell that I’m paying him a million dollars to dump it on his playmates.” Amy doesn’t hold her tongue for one minute, “If he wants to calmly discuss a plan where he can visit his children then that’s a different story but he’s not getting ownership of them.”

“That’s what you _think._ ” Chris challenges her

“That’s what I _know.”_ she wastes no time in response

“It’s clear that Ms. Brookheimer wants nothing more than to settle this out in court. Give her another opportunity to show off one of the many flashy outfits I purchased for her an am so nicely letting her keep after our breakup.”

She snorts at that.

“Yet you’re the one asking me for a million dollars to fuel your drug habits.” 

“It’s for the _ kids.”  _

_ “ _ Unless Greyson and Meagan are codenames for Cocaine and Booze then that’s bullshit and we all fucking know it.”

The mediator interjects with a loud sound of him clearing his throat and taps the table with his hands.

“Ms. Brookheimer, Mr. Blake, while I do appreciate your honesty and... _ intense  _ attempts of fighting for your children's safety...I do think that it would be more appropriate and beneficial for this matter to be seen by the court system where they can make an official decision on this case.”

For fuck’s sake.

The whole point of this meeting was trying to meet in the middle and not let it get to court. 

Now she’s well and truly fucked and the situation is really out of her hands. 

It’s pretty much settled and confirmed almost instantly-they’ll duke out the case in court on April 12th of this year which sets them two months away from the date.

And she’s nervous as fucking hell.

When she and Kyle get in the car promptly after sneaking out of the back exit, she feels her breathing starting to pick up.

"Are you okay?" Kyle looks at her over her glasses.

She looks up and gives a small sigh, "Yeah...I'm just..." she pauses to breathe, "I just wanted to avoid making this more public than it already is. Now, not only do I have to fight for the kids in front Chris but now, it's going to be this whole fucking media circus and I...I just can't handle it." 

Kyle gives an understanding nod at that, removing his glasses and placing them into his briefcase as their Driver starts the car.

"I know. Fighting for your kids is tough but, fighting for them in front of the whole world makes it a million times harder." he kneads his shoulder with a free hand, "But you're a great mom, I'd just try and focus on that for the next few months...don't let this case takes up too much of your focus."

She snorts at that because while she's sure he means well, it's honestly easier said than done. 

"That'll be hard for me. I have a million different things to do and right now this case is one of my main priorities." 

Kyle drums his fingertips on the armrest of his seat and turns to Amy.

"The case will come and go, Amy. But your kids? They'll need you for much longer." he turns to face her, his blue eyes zeroing in on her, "And believe me when I say those kids adore you. I've seen the way they both look at you." 

She can't help but smile at that because this just might be one the nicest things she's heard in a long time.

"Thank you." she gives a gratuitous nod, "I appreciate you saying that especially now...after _that_ situation." she points a thumb behind her back, indicating the courthouse they're currently pulling away from.

"No problem." he pulls out his phone and begins to type off a response to whoever texted him, "Is it bad that I'm fucking terrified of Parker though?"

And she laughs at that because it's pretty damn funny and it feels so good to laugh with someone about something so mindless for the first time in ages. 

"Don't worry, you're not the only one." she smiles to herself, looking out the window of the foggy January day, "I'm pretty sure Greyson's scared of her."

Every time Parker came near Greyson or even appeared on the tv screen, Greyson always turned into a screaming mess demanding through furious screams and cries to get him far away from her and it always manages to make Amy smirk to herself.

He is without a doubt 100% her kid.

"I don't blame him. She sounds like a drunk, sexed-up Jason Voorhees whose going through a sex change." 

She laughs so hard she almost spits out her water against the black leather interior of the Escalade.

"I'm sorry that was..."

"Are you okay?"

She breaks into a chorus of unbearable laughter and has to clamp her hand over her mouth to calm the fuck down and control herself.

"Yeah....yeah, I'm fine." she wipes away at the tears stining in her eyes, "That was just... _really_ funny."

"C'mon, it wasn't that funny."

"Yes, it was!" Amy falls into a fit of laughter all over again, throwing her hair over her shoulder and taking deep breaths to get herself under control.

"Well, I'm glad I was able to make you laugh." Kyle smirks at her and turns his attention to paperwork from his briefcase, "You should do it more often. You have a nice laugh."

And it's a nice compliment because she thinks she has a hideous laugh and from the sincerity in his voice, she knows he's being genuine but, it's only a tad bit awkward because she doesn't know how to take compliments.

"Well, I mean-"

"You're fine." Amy insists with a small smile, "...and thank you. That's very...nice of you to say."

God, she's so unbearably awkward it was insane.

All the man was trying to do was give her a nice compliment? Why did she have to go and make it so fucking awkward?

They ride the rest of the trip in silence until they eventually pull up to Kyle's office on the other side of town and it's time to say goodbye to one another.

"Thanks for today, I appreciate it." she offers as he climbs out of the car and grabs his suitcase and slings his suit jacket over his arm.

"Anytime." he smiles back, "Go out and get a drink or something, you deserve it." 

She grins at that because that's exactly what she'll do when she gets home-make herself a drink.

"I will."

He turns around to start making his way up the steps but he stops in his tracks and pokes his head into the car one last time.

"Seriously, if you need anything...just let me know."

She doesn't know how to respond to that either because 1) she's awkward as fuck, 2) doesn't know how to handle genuine niceness, and 3) is taken aback by Kyle's attempts to be so nice to her. 

"Thanks.." she tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear, waving him goodbye, "I'll talk to you later."

* * *

 

_Chris Blake is all smiles as he arrives at Moultrie Courthouse_

Associated Press

_ Chris Blake wears a custom-made Tom Ford suit as he arrives at Moultrie Courthouse to attend a Custody Mediation Session with Amy Brookheimer.  _

GQ

_ Amy Brookheimer arrives at court wearing a custom-made Dolce & Gabbana Pantsuit to attend a Mediation Session at Moultrie Courthouse. Is this too much? _

Fox News

_ It's Official. Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake will duke it out in court over the custody of their two kids. _

Marie Claire

_ "My client's main focus is her children. We are walking into this with our heads held high and truths on our sleeves." Kyle Wescott speaks out after news that his client, Amy Brookheimer, will go against her ex, Chris Blake, in court for full custody of her kids. _

The Hill

_"It's time that the truth comes out and my client is more than ready to deliver it to the judge once and for all." Parker Blake speaks out after news that her client/brother, Chris Blake, will go against his ex, Amy Brookheimer, in court for full custody of his kids._

The Hill

* * *

 

Meagan always enjoyed the first day at school after Winter Break.

She liked it because she got to see her friends, prepare for the dance season and resume her regular life.

But now, she dreads it.

She dreads it because she  _ knows _ that she’s walking into a fucking death sentence by going.

Her Mom and Chris were in an ugly custody battle, her little brother would not stop screaming his fucking head off and oh yeah, now her Mom has a sex tape in the atmosphere.

Add on the bonus that is one of her closest friends, Sam, died in a car accident leaving  _ her  _ house party which has ended up with people blaming her for his death.

To an extent, she did feel guilty about the whole Sam thing because she was the one who encouraged him to take shots and do a few lines of coke with her but, she never told him to drive home.

Sure, she could’ve stopped him when he grabbed his key but..she was in no state to tell someone else what to do because she was absolutely smashed.

And since she’s surrounded by fucking animals,  _ everyone _ lets her know that it’s her fault.

Her Instagram comments were spammed with _“Fuck you!_ ” to the always hurtful _“This is your fault”._

Then when she gets to school, it gets no better.

Upon arrival to her first period (Honors Algebra), her class is sent to the theater for the school's impromptu memorial for Sam.

Except for Noah and Noelle, no one talks to her and instead opts to stare at her like she’s fucking Hitler and keep their distance like she has Ebola.

Even her fucking boyfriend is avoiding her altogether and that makes it even worse.

Josh is avoiding her phone calls, texts, direct messages on Instagram and didn’t even check in on her after her arrest and getting raped.

Okay, so he technically did check in on her after she returned home from the holding cell and got into an argument with her Mom but it wasn’t even a supportive call, he just told her that maybe she should try calming down a bit.

And for that, she told him to go fuck himself because she felt like it.

But just because she said that doesn’t mean he can just up and avoid her, who did he think he was? 

And the worse thing about it?

He acts like that all fucking day.

And it drives her batshit crazy.

The only things keeping her sane right about now is the mini bottle of Vodka tucked in her backpack and guzzled down during lunch in Noelle’s car and knowing that she’ll get to choreograph a dance for the school’s upcoming Spring assembly.

Then she gets to practice, after school and it all goes to shit.

Again.

“So Cayla will be doing choreography for the upcoming rally which mea-”

“I’m sorry,  _ what? _ ” Meagan interrupts their Coach, causing the entire team’s heads and high ponytails to whip towards her in surprise.

Coach Erin furrows a brow at her in confusion, looking around the group to make sure she heard Meagan correctly.

“Is something wrong, Meags?” Coach Erin’s voice is slow and cautious, allowing Meagan to peddle back on her attitude.

_ “Yes.”  _ Meagan nods, “At the beginning of the year, you told me that  _ I  _ would be choreographing and now I’m not and I don’t understand why.”

“Because snorting a line of coke while dancing on a table doesn’t count as a dance move.” Cayla stands from sliding on her jazz slipper and giving Meagan a once overlook.

The group of girls surrounding her release muffled laughs and gasps at that, all of them snickering as their hands cover their mouths.

“..And neither is ripping your boyfriend’s foreskin off with your skin you deflated Spice Girl, lose the fucking barrettes in your hair, this isn’t fucking Daycare.”

_ “Meagan-” _

“I’d expect  _ you _ to know how to do that considering the fact your Mom’s all over the internet sucking people off.”

_ “Cayla-” _

“Maybe your Mom can watch it and get tips on how to get your Dad to come something other than the dried up semen lodged in his cock since he’s a fucking Mummy and hasn’t been able to get it up since you were crawling on your knees which was yesterday.”

Cayla’s milky white face flares into a furious blush and she throws her strawberry blonde ponytail over her shoulder, replicating Meagan and folding her arms over her chest.

“Classy. You learn how to speak like that in prison, Alex Vause?”

She wastes no time in stepping forward and landing a slap right on Cayla’s face. 

The slap must’ve been strong because she managed to swipe off a good chunk of Cayla’s makeup on the tips of her fingers and she stumbles back in surprise but Meagan doesn’t care.

It’s what she deserved.

She can talk about how fucked up her Mom is all she wants but no one is allowed to do it.

Unfortunately, Principal Gates doesn’t exactly approve of her rationale behind the whole slapping incident so, she finds herself in two weeks detention and having to write a formal apology to Cayla.

“I know you’ve had a.. _ rough _ few weeks but just try to work on handling your anger. We can’t have this happen again.” Gates tells her after excusing her to the in-school suspension room.

Instead of going to the in-school suspension room for the last two classes of the day, she all but corners Josh while he’s outside of the gymnasium getting ready for practice.

“Where have you been all day?” she demands, not holding back her anger.

Josh’s eyes go wide at her, looking over his shoulder nervously.

“..At school,” he states like it’s obvious.

“Well, I need you to get me out of here. Can you drop me off at your house or something?” 

He sighs at that, adjusting his clear frames and throwing another look over his shoulder.

“Meagan. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

She’s taken aback because she always goes to his house..that’s their thing. His parents love her so she knows it’ll be no fuss if they happen to be there and they see her come in.

“I’m sorry?”

Josh takes a deep breath and scratches the back of his neck.

“My parents don’t want you over at our house now...or ever,” he admits shyly with his head slightly hanging.

A mix between a cough and laugh escapes her throat as her arms fold over her chest and she feels the boils inside of her burble to life.

“You  _ fucking  _ asshole.”

“ _Meags-”_

“No, don’t Meags me.” she takes a step back, her hand flying to slap her forehead in disbelief, “You’re fucking breaking up with me.. .now? ”

“Look. I like you, I do but, I can’t be with you if you’re going to be drinking and doing drugs like you are. I can’t be around that.” 

“What’s the difference between me doing it and your fucking friends doing it?”

“My friends don’t know about Shane dying from cocaine but you do and you continue to do it right in front of my face.” 

She pauses at that and it hits her.

Shane was Josh’s older brother and when Josh was about 10 he went into his brother’s room to find him unresponsive on the ground, surrounded by white powder which was cocaine.

He had been scarred ever since.

“Not to mention the fact that you let Sam drive drunk.” his voice breaks in the middle, “I lost my best friend because of you.”

“No one told him to drive drunk.” she defends herself, “He did that on his own.”

“Well, you could’ve stopped him.” Josh’s voice is thick with anger, “..and maybe, _just maybe,_ I would still have my best friend.” 

“So you’re breaking up with me?” she doesn’t even try to hide the tears that slide down her face.

He shakes his head and takes a few steps back.

“I’m sorry, Meags.” he offers a half-assed shrug, “I just can’t do it anymore.”

And before she knows it, she’s running out of the main entrance doors, sobbing her eyes out like a fucking loser.

Fuck school and everything else at this point.

Her Dad is out of town for god knows what so she can't call him.

She knows that Aunt Michelle is at work.

She can't call Chris because, for the life of her, she doesn't want to see him now.

So the only option now is to just walk home to her Mom's.

It's a 35-minute walk from school to her house but she's fine with it, she takes the chance to mull over everything and listen to her music at full blast without a fucking care in the world.

Even though it's fucking January and it's cold as shit, the anger radiates off of her body and she warms herself up that way.

There's a moment when she's passing a Cemetary and from the thick metal gates on each opposing side, she instantly recognizes it.

It's where her Grandpa is buried.

Part of her is pissed because being at the Cemetary means she must've taken a wrong turn somewhere along her walk and she's further from the house than she was earlier. 

But the other part of her wants to go in because the last time she's been here, it was at his funeral.

So, she takes a shot in the dark and walks through the gates.

She figures she'll walk around for a minute until she locates his gravestone and if she can't find it within the next ten minutes, she'll take it as a sign of fate and leave.

The funeral must've been more embedded into her mind than she thought because like muscle memory, her feet take her towards the back right to her Grandpa's gravestone and she feels something clenching at her in her chest.

She looks over her shoulder to ensure she's alone and is met with the sight of an wide, empty lot.

"Hi, Grandpa." she sinks to her knees right in front of the graveyard, "It's me...Bennie."

She swipes away at the tears forming at her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"I know you can't hear me because you're....not _here_ but, I'm talking to you because...I wish you were here right now." the tears rack through her body before she has a chance to stop them. 

Her hand clamps over her mouth almost instantly and she has to take a few deep breaths to come back to herself.

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you everything I've done because...you'd be disappointed in me and I don't think I'd ever be able to handle that. Part of me is happy you're not here to see what I've turned into because again, you'd be disappointed in me _and.."_

Before she knows it, she's having a full-on breakdown in the middle of the Graveyard.

"But I do want to tell you that I'm sorry." she brings herself to look at the gravestone, "I used to always tell you that I'd one day sing on stage with Elton John and Barbara Streisand because that's what I wanted to do but...I'll be lucky if I even make it into fucking college. I'm sorry that I am this way, I'm sorry that I'm a fucking embarrassment to everyone and I'm sorry that I'll never make you proud." 

She takes a few more minutes to soak in the environment and let out a good cry that's been building up for a while inside of her.

She stands to her feet, deciding that enough is enough and it's time for her to go home before the school notices her absence and calls her Mom before she can explain herself.

"I'm sorry." the words leave her throat and she can't take being in this environment anymore. 

She sprints out of the Graveyard and runs the entire way home, not stopping to breathe for one minute because if she does, she'll start thinking about everything she doesn't want to think about.

Sam dying, Josh dumping her, Lionel raping her, Chris and her Mom arguing and the entire world collapsing around her.

It feels like forever but eventually, she runs into her familiar neighborhood, surging past the rows of perfectly manicured gardens and patios and eventually bringing herself to the front door of her house.

All she wants to right now is just swallow a whole bottle of Bleach and rid herself of her life because it seems like she's causing a burden to everyone around her. 

She twists open the door and drops her backpack to the floor and sinking to her knees on the marble ground of the main hallway.

 _"Meags?"_ she hears her Mom's voice approach her slowly, "Meags, what's wrong?" 

She looks up and is met with her Mom who stands over her with Greyson in her arms, her blue eyes rounded at her in shock and concern.

Meagan shakes her head and wipes her eyes hesitantly.

"I...I..I just."

"Meags. Talk to me." she bends so she's eye-level with her while still miraculously balancing Greyson in her arms, "What's wrong?" 

She can't tell her Mom what's going on.

She'll flip the fuck out and not understand what's going on with her. 

Even though parents always claim you can trust them and they'll understand whatever it is your going through, they never do.

"Meags. Baby, what's wrong?" she tries again as Greyson looks at Meagan in confusion as he sucks on his pacifier innocently.

"I miss Grandpa." she admits, telling half of the truth, "I miss Grandpa and I couldn't finish school today because I can't focus and it hurts and I just...I miss him, Mom."

"Come here, babe." her Mom pulls her in for a hug and manages to slide Greyson onto her hip to prevent the two of them from crashing into one another, "I didn't know you felt like this." 

Neither did she.

"Would you feel better if you went to stay with Grandma for a few days?" she offers, "I know she's in Rhode Island but, maybe we can get you a flight for this weekend?"

She nods against her Mom's shoulder and sighs.

"That would be nice," she mumbles out as her Mom pulls away and wipes away the tears sliding down her face.

Her Mom gives her a small smile and runs a hand through her hair, "You can head up to your room and get some rest. You look exhausted."

As they both stand up, Greyson manages to knock his pacifier out of his mouth and he reaches his little arms out to Meagan demandingly.

 _"Uhhh.._.does he want something?" she crinkles her nose at the baby.

Greyson babbles away in some weird baby alien language at her pretty damn determined and she's so fucking confused.

Her Mom bends down to grab the pacifier, "He wants to give you a kiss." she laughs slightly, "Greyson. Do you want to kiss sissy?"

Okay, who is this woman and what has she done to her Mother?

Greyson leans forward and plants a slobbery, drool infused kiss on her cheek, his little hands finding their way into her hair.

Even though she didn't want Greyson around at all, she had to admit that he was pretty fucking adorable and quite easily one of the cutest babies she had ever seen in her entire life (and that's saying a lot because she was adorable as shit when she was a baby).

Her Mom leans forward and presses a kiss on the crown of her head, "Go take a nap, you need it." she ruffles her hair and with that, she's walking away with a babbling Greyson on her hip, making her way into the kitchen, leaving Meagan alone in the main foyer.

Jesus, she needed a fucking nap.

* * *

 

She forgot how fucking exhausting having a baby was.

She supposes she blocked a lot of the gruesome, exhausting memories of dealing with an infant Meagan ages ago because of how scary it was.

Sure, she had the Babysitters and her parents around to help her out during the day but in the wee hours of the night and on the long-nights of whatever campaign trip they were on, it was all Amy.

Her hope with having Greyson was that she wouldn’t be alone this time around and have Chris around to help her since Grey was born during a fucking scandal.

But again, she’s found herself all alone.

The only difference is this time she’s not working so there’s quite literally nothing for her to do but be around Greyson and catering to his every need.

And the fact that he has all of the energy in the world doesn’t help shit.

From the way Greyson is always smiling and squealing, you’d think he was conceived from a fucking comedian.

Some days she can’t handle it because the exhaustion is too much so she’ll hand him off to his babysitter, Natalie, who she hired after Madelyn unexpectedly quit.

But days like today, when he’s returned from Chris’, it’s what she needs to forget all of the bullshit surrounding her in her life.

“Did your Dad not bathe you?” Amy shuts off the sink water, balancing Greyson against her hip as he cooed with great intent, his tiny hands finding their way into Amy’s hair.

It takes her a minute to wrangle him on the counter so she can remove his dirty diaper and get him into the bathtub seat because it’s so painfully obvious from the smell alone that Chris forgot to bathe him that she can only roll her eyes.

That fucker will post any picture he has to show that he’s a good father instead of bathing his damn kid.

Eventually, he’s freed from his onesie and she’s got him buckled into his bath seat and she begins to lather soap onto his small body.

She turns around to grab a towel and she hears a chorus of his child-like giggles filling the room, the sound echoing from the walls of the bathroom.

“Are you happy?” she finds herself laughing at the goofy faces Greyson’s face contorts into, “Are you happy to be taking a bath and get out of that dirty diaper?” her voice raises playfully.

Yes, Greyson was demanding and the replica of Chris but when he laughed..it’s all her, and it’s fucking adorable. 

Weirdly, it’s weirdly nostalgic doing stuff like this. It’s kinda like she misses it in a weird, emotional way.

Even though she had a village of help with Meagan, she was surprised by how much she enjoyed the calmness of going through the nightly routine with her. Sure, she checked her phone obsessively every other minute to make sure nothing crazy was being tweeted about her, but that was always her thing, she’ll unfortunately always do that.

Part of her wishes that she could’ve done all of this with Meagan again.

She figures had she been there more than she already was, she has a feeling everything would’ve been different.

But for now, she figures it's better to live in the present and try her best than dwell on the past and wish she tried better.

Since she’s still in recovery mode from having Greyson, her actions are limited and there’s not much she can do.

Even though she spends all of her time with the kids, she does allow herself a few breaks now and then so she doesn’t lose her mind.

(What she means is that everyone around her is forcing themselves into her life and helping her with things she certainly doesn’t need help with.)

Her Doctor cleared her for driving now and then but only when it was necessary.

Dan comes over every other night to make dinner for both Amy and Meagan to ensure that Amy is eating instead of lying to him about whether or not she ate. But not this week because he's out of town for whatever reason, he told her over the phone but she's honestly been so busy she can't even really remember what he said.

Natalie does a good summation of the work whenever she’s around-changes Greyson’s diaper, rocks him until he goes to sleep and steps in to help anytime she’s needed.

As for Michelle...

She surprisingly volunteers to take Greyson to his two-month check-up appointment at the Hospital.

Part of her wants to go because she wants to be there for this moment in her son’s life, but she also hasn’t gotten much sleep so, she dutifully agrees to it and lets Michelle take him for the day.

“What’s the deal with Kyle?” Amy takes a sip of her juice.

Michelle’s eyebrow furrows at her.

“Deal? What are you talking about?” she leans forward and takes a sip of her Mimosa.

Greyson releases a squeal from his car seat as he chews on his fingers, drool dripping from his mouth in a disgustingly adorable way.

“He’s not a dick is he?” Amy questions bluntly, “Like..he seems nice but I just don’t know what to think of him.”

“He’s a Sweetheart believe it or not.” Michelle shrugs his shoulder, “And he kicks total ass as a Lawyer so you have nothing to worry about.”

Sure, he seems nice but it could be an act for all she knows. 

Chris was a fucking Sweetheart when they first met-he was warm, inviting and all Gentleman like with her only now for him to turn out to be a Grade-A dick.

“I don’t know..it just feels weird trusting somebody I don’t know much about,” she admits as she rifles through her purse and locates Greyson’s baby wipes so she can clean up his hands from the milk he’s spilled on himself.

“Maybe you should  _ talk  _ to him.” Michelle suggests as she focuses on digging into her salad, “Talk about something other than your psychotic ex.”

“I don’t know how to talk to him is my point.” she admits, “How do I even approach that conversation?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Greyson try to gnaw on the baby wipe and she has to immediately snatch it from his hands to avoid the kid choking on it.

“It’s just talking, Amy.” Michelle laughs at her like she’s ridiculous, “Just talk to him the way you talk to me.”

“You’re different.” Amy rolls her eyes, “Just because I have one friend doesn’t mean I’m a fucking social butterfly.”

Michelle laughs at that and runs a hand through her hair.

“I wouldn’t worry about all of that with Kyle. He doesn’t care about that shit.”

“And you know this how?”

Michelle blinks at her in confusion, her eyes raking over Amy in disbelief.

“You know he likes you right?”

_What?_

She snorts in disbelief because Michelle has to be fucking with her on this one

Sure, he’s nice to her whenever they see one another but, there’s no fucking way Kyle could ever be interested in her in a romantic way whatsoever.

“Yeah, right.” she snorts and leans forward to remove Greyson from his carrier and feed him his lunch bottle of the day, “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Amy. He’s smitten with you.” she teases her, “Have you seen the way he looks at you?”

“When I talk he  _ looks  _ at me because that’s what you do when you’re talking to someone.”

“And when you’re smitten with someone.” Michelle gives a knowing smirk. “I would think about it though. It doesn’t hurt to go out for a coffee with a nice guy.”

Greyson chatters away in his alien language in Amy’s arms as she pulls the bottle away from him and moves to wipe his mouth with a baby wipe.

Deep in her heart, she knows Michelle is right because she can’t remain in this bubble of fear Chris has blown around her for the rest of her life and she especially can’t spend it wishing she was still with Chris.

“It doesn’t even have to be romantic unless you make it.” Michelle suggests, “Just go out for coffee or something and get to know each other.”

She sighs and dusts the imaginary dust off of Greyson’s sweater.

“I suppose your right."

"And like I said it doesn't have to be romantic." Michelle reminds her, "..Just go out and do something."

"Okay, I get it." she rolls her eyes.

"At least before you die."

"Thanks, Mich." she rolls her eyes.

* * *

 

Meagan hates therapy.

The last time she went, it was a few weeks after Felix had molested her and she was so freaked out by his death that Chris secretly took Meagan took a child psychiatrist underneath her Mom’s nose.

It wasn’t terrible by any means.

The middle-aged Latina woman by the name of Ms. Clay was sweet and all, she always offered Meagan a piece of candy after their sessions.

It was more like she didn’t trust the process around it.

It made no sense to her-cough up a few hundred dollars to spend time with a stranger and reveal all of your deepest, darkest insecurities.

Something about that didn’t sit with her correctly.

She doesn’t want to talk to anybody at this point.

She wants to lock herself in her fucking room, shove junk-food down her throat, puke it all back up later and drink herself off of the face of the earth because she knows that will make her feel better than she has in a while.

But instead of giving her the satisfaction of doing that, her parents ship her off to the best therapist money can find in DC and it aggravates the living soul out of her.

They could at least try to talk to her.

But now, her Mom keeps her distance and coddles Greyson so hard he’s practically a damn leech and her Dad just tells her he’ll be down in the waiting room whenever she’s done with her session.

“So. Tell me about yourself.” The therapist, who introduces herself as Jess, seems to be in her early 20’s gives her a warm smile after they’re in her wide-set office space.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

The woman nods at that, stroking her chin as her eyes hover over Meagan in observation.

“I take it you’re uncomfortable.”

“I’m talking to a stranger because my parents refuse to try to talk to me like fucking adults.”

Jess winces at that and blinks at the furious teenage girl who crosses her legs in the chair, nervously playing her hands that shake in her lap feverishly.

“Your parents don’t talk to you?”

“They talk at me, not to me,” she grumbles.

“How so?”

And this is why Meagan hates going to the therapist.

She doesn’t like how these persistent fuckers do this mental gymnastics of vocabulary to try and get her to admit her feelings. Rather than they use all of these diplomatic words to confuse the living shit out of her, she’d prefer for them to just ask what’s actually on their minds.

“You’re asking me if I argue with my parents.” Meagan rolls her eyes, keeping her sight on the circular mirror posed on the opposing side of the room.

“I’m asking you how they talk to you.” Jess puts one leg over the other as she leans into her large leather chair, “..do they ask you about your day, answer the questions they ask you with what they want your answers to be, or do they just refuse to talk to you altogether.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed but my Mom is in the midst of a public scandal right about now so she’s not exactly mentally here to talk to me about my problems, not that she ever has though.”

“So I’ve heard…” Jess follows along with a nod, “it must be frustrating; walking around and hearing everyone else’s opinions of a situation they have no idea about.”

Okay, even though she hated therapist, this one had a minor point.

Again, a minor point.

“Do people at your school talk about it?”

Her mind flashes to this past week at school; her teacher’s all staring at her like she’s got some kind of disease, Josh breaking up with her, Cayla harassing her to no end and Sam’s memorial in the theater.

“Sometimes.”

“What do they say?”

Her breathing hitches for a second and she has to fake clearing her throat to avoid tears sliding down her cheeks.

“They all judge me. No one wants to ask me what happened to get the truth or see if I’m okay, they just go off of what they’re heard and go from there.”

“Does that bother you?” Jess tilts her head to the side, tapping her pen against her chin.

Extremely.

“Kinda.” Meagan admits with a small voice, “It just feels like I can’t talk to anybody anymore because if I do, they’ll take advantage of me then dump me the next second.”

“I take it your friends have been abandoning you during this time?”

Her mind goes to Noah and Noelle, really, the only two friends she has left in this world.

“I still have my two friends...Noah and Noelle but besides that, that’s it.”

“And they’ve been supportive of you and your habits?”

“My habits?” she challenges the therapist, “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Meagan.” she gives a small smile and clears her throat, “It’s no secret that you have been dealing with some sort of an alcohol and drug addiction. Were you introduced to those habits from Noah and Noelle?”

“What? No!” she jumps back in surprise, “...they would never do anything like that. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

“You’ve tried what?”

“Getting them to have a drink with me. They’re both just scared of what their parents will do if they find out.”

“That seems like a valid reason.” Jess offers but Meagan shrugs it off.

“It’s an excuse.” she corrects her, “How else are they going to experience things if they’re worried about their parents finding things out?”

“You don’t care about our parents finding these things out?”   
“My parents don’t care about me drinking or doing drugs, they care that I’ve embarrassed them and I’m fucking up their careers.”

“You don’t think your parents care about you?”

“ I know my parents don’t care about me.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I’m not perfect and it’s weird because neither are they. My dad wasn’t in my life until recently and my Mom isn’t the best parent.”

“Your father wasn’t around growing up?” Jess’s eyebrow perks up in interest as she jots down a few notes on her notepad.

She shakes her head as she plays with the silver nail polish breaking away.

“Has your Mom or Dad ever explained his absence to you?’

Her mind races back to the morning of Chris’ birthday party. When her Mom had told her that her Dad wanted to meet her and form a relationship with her.

Of course, she declined because there was no way in hell she wanted to meet the man who emotionally scarred her in ways she didn’t even know were possible but she did try her best to squeeze the reason why her Mom had kept her far away from anything relating to her Dad all her life.

Being as stubborn and secretive as she is, her Mom didn’t say anything and instead scolded Meagan on her attitude (when in all actuality she didn’t have one in the first place) and that was the end of the conversation

“No ...he kinda just...showed up and never left.”

“Does that bother you?”

“No, not really.”

She was surprised by how much she enjoyed having her Dad around. As absent as he was in her life, having him around made things feel a tad bit easier.

Sure, Chris had always been there for her but she sometimes felt like she had to share the attention with her Mom.

At least with Dad, she knew his main focus was on her whenever she was around.

“I’d never tell this to him to his face but he’s kinda like my hero.” she feels her throat get choked up, “...when I’m around him, I feel like nothing bad can happen to me because I know he’s there and if something bad does happen, he’ll still be there.”

“You don’t feel that way about your Step-father?”

She swallows thickly at that, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“At one point I did and I guess I still kinda do but, I need a break from him.” she admits sadly, “I feel like he’s kinda responsible for what I’ve turned into.”

“What you’ve turned into?”

“I don’t like being like this.” she admits with a small voice, “I don’t like feeling like I need drugs and alcohol to get out of bed. Growing up, all I wanted was to sing and dance and now, I can’t even bring myself to do it without drinking. It probably eases the pain, but I can’t keep doing this to myself and I know it.”

Sitting down and looking at everything around her makes her realize that something’s wrong with her and if it takes her not drinking or doing drugs to make her world just a little bit better, she’ll do it.

“It sounds like you want to get sober.”

“For now.” she shrugs her shoulders, “Obviously I want to drink once I become 21 but, for now, I need to take control of my life.”

Jess offers a warm smile at that, her hazel eyes studying Meagan with great interest.

“When you get home, I want you to write a letter directed to someone who doesn’t know anything about you. In the letter, I want you to tell them anything truths they need to know about you. You don’t have to show it to anyone but it’s a chance to get what’s on your mind off your mind.”

Like she said if this is what it takes for her to get better. Then she’ll do it.

She just wants to get control of her life again.

It’s all she wants.

* * *

 

 

She and Kyle hook up.

It’s unexpected for sure.

If anything, she enjoys it more than she had expected she would.

Maybe it was the post-partum hormones she was dealing with or the adrenaline of feeling free to do whatever the fuck she wants in life that made the encounter so much more lively and better.

She was expecting it to be fast, quick and sloppy (the way she had figured one-night stands always were) but this was different.

He took his time with her, he explored her entire body with all of the desire in the world, kissed her until her lips remained plump and wet and had even made her come four times in a row.

Not to mention the fact that he actually went down on her.

It had been fucking ages since someone had done that for her and to feel his lips against her body was really something special.

When the deed is done and she’s done with cleaning herself up in the bathroom and wrapping the bed cover over her body, she returns to the bedroom.

His eyes rake over her as she pads her way over to her side and heaves herself onto her bed, combing a hand through her blonde hair.

“Should I go?” she offers, pointing a finger towards the door.

He turns to the nightstand and takes a sip of his White Wine, soaking in the crisp taste of the liquor.

“It’s whatever you want. I’d like for you to stay though.”

Amy nods at that as Kyle’s eyes glossing over Amy’s body shamelessly every time he thinks she can’t see him (but she really can) when she tilts her respective glass of wine down to her lips and takes a long sip.

“Why are you staring at me?” she faces him head-on, “You don’t have to fluff me, you already fucked me.”

He licks his lips at that, taking the time to let his eyes rake over her new-found curves (the new ones that kicked in right after she gave birth to Greyson and held onto her for dear life.)

“You would like to know why I’m staring at you?” a playful smirk dances on Kyle’s lips as he sits up against the stack of pillows, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Yes.” she can’t help but hide the laughter in her voice, “What’s wrong with you?”

He smiles at her one last time and reaches out to grab her hand over the duvet, looking her square in the eye.

“You’re beautiful.” he uses his other hand and combs it through her blonde hair, pausing to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear.

Fuck, that felt really good to hear.

There’s a small blush that paints on her face and she has to stifle back a smile to avoid showing her giddiness but, it instantly fails and before she knows it she’s grinning like a fucking idiot in her lap.

“Again, you can stop fluffing me. You already fucked me.” her voice is small and ashamed, not wanting to fall into the trap of falling for yet another guy who whispers sweet nothings in her ear about god knows what.

Sleeping with her Lawyer is probably the worst possible thing she can do because not only are they in the midst of the trial right now, but she’s also having to deal with the fact that Chris and Dan will not move on from her and demand to know everything about her and her life.

“What if I want to fuck you?” he cocks an eyebrow at her.

She nervously plays with her fingers in her lap.

“Well you already did it, so now you can say that you did.” she tries to add humor in her voice but she honestly can’t fake it this time, it hurts her a little too much and she doesn’t know why.

Kyle sighs at that and leans against the pillowcases, keeping a hand firmly on Amy’s thigh.

“It’s not your fault.” she insists, “I just ...I don’t want to get hurt now or for a while, I just...I don’t think I can handle it.”

“You don’t have to explain your feelings to me, Amy. I understand where you’re coming from.”

Thank the lord.

She wasn’t really in an explaining herself kind of mood tonight if she was being quite honest.

Kyle must pick up on this because as he exits the bed to slide on a pair of sweatpants and throw her one of his shirts, he sneaks into the hotel kitchen and returns with a pint of Rocky Road Ice Cream and two spoons.

“You mentioned you liked ‘When Harry Met Sally’ right?”

She smirks at that as she pulls the shirt over her head.

“Yeah, why?”

“It’s on Demand.” he suggests, “..we can watch it.”

And that’s what they do.

And it’s easily one of the best nights she’s had in fucking ages.

* * *

 

Since Natalie has the night off and Michelle is on a business trip, the only person to drop Greyson off at Chris’ is Amy and she’s not thrilled about it.

For one, she doesn’t like _not_ being around Greyson. Call her possessive but, she wants Greyson with her, at all times.

This court debacle is so fucking ridiculous that all she wants to do is just go back to Kyle's hotel and cuddle under the covers with a jar of Ice Cream and mindless television to just take her mind off of everything.

Fortunately for her, Chris seems to be in a decent mood-lets her into the house with no fuss, lets her put him to be upstairs since he’s recognizing faces better than ever and we’ll lose his shit if he sees Amy leave while he’s awake so she has to be discreet with it.

She takes her time with putting him to bed-changing his diaper, dressing him in a pair of Owl pajamas, reading him a chapter of some mindless baby book someone had gotten for him as she rocks them in the rocking chair until he falls into a deep slumber.

 _“I love you,”_ she whispers pretty much to herself after she’s got him settled in his crib, Greyson sprawling out on his back, his little fist raised over his head.

She shuts off the main light in the room, allowing the night light to send a pattern of rainbow-colored stars on the ceiling, filling the room with a crisp, subtle glow.

She slowly closes the door behind herself; careful on not making any noises and makes her way back down the staircase to make a quick break for the door then a voice stops her.

“You leavin?”

She’s not in the mood to argue, especially not after just making work of putting Grey to bed.

“Yeah.” she combs a hand through her hair, “..I got Grey asleep, he’s been waking up consistently at around midnight for a diaper change and bottle so just be prepared for that.”

He laughs at that as he pours himself a glass of wine in the kitchen.

“I know how to take care of Grey, Ames.”

There’s something so familiar about how the nicknames roll off of his tongue, it’s so weird and she doesn’t know why the hell she still likes hearing him say it.

“Well.” she pulls herself together, “I better go.”

She opens the door to leave once and for all but as always, Chris has other plans and lightly shuts the door as he creeps behind her, his warmth pressing against the backside of her body.

 _“Stay.”_ he offers, “I’ll pour you a glass.”

“No.” she forces the words to escape her throat, “That wouldn’t be smart.”

She reaches out to grab the doorknob but he places a firm, steady hand on top of hers.

“Stop worrying,” he whispers against her earlobe, his left hand finding a place right on the waistline of her black jeans.

She shouldn’t even be surprised that this is happening. She knew that this would happen coming over here and she’s crazy enough for still showing up.

Her mind goes to Kyle for a minute.

The charming, goofy smile he had given her whenever they spoke to one another and Amy took the chance to admire how good looking he actually was.

She should be back at her own damn house, rereading some file on the upcoming case or the rehab program she needs to enroll Meagan for, not being felt up by Chris and sadly enjoying it.

“I miss you.” he practically moans in her ear, the sounds sending a jolt of energy down her spine and to her womanhood, “..I think about you all the time.”

“Chris, stop.” she tries to convince herself to stop enjoying his touch so much but her attempts go out the window the minute he gets his lips on her neck.

She bites back a moan as he head tilts backward and Chris brings her in so she’s right on his crotch.

“I want you.” he pleads again, resuming to presses his lips against her neck slowly, “I want you so bad, baby.”

It’s embarrassing because she knows she wants him too and she wants him really bad.

But she can’t give him that part of her anymore, he didn’t deserve it and she had to remind herself of that.

That doesn’t mean she can’t have fun with him.

So, she turns in his arms and looks him up and down with an innocent look playing on her features.

“It depends on what you have in mind..” she undoes the buttons to her long-sleeved shirt, giving him an eyeful of her cleavage, “...I don’t want you to _hurt_ me.” she whispers against his earlobe as she reaches down and runs her hand over the bulging tent in his sweatpants.

He licks his lips at that, his pupils dilated at her.

“I want to fuck you against the shower wall the way you like it.” he tugs at her hair slightly, “..then I want you to get on your knees and suck my dick in my office chair the way I like it.”

Fucking asshole insists on taking her to court only to turn around and ask her for a fucking blowjob like a goddamn prick.

God, she hated men.

She walks away from him, making her way to his office down the hallway and managing to shed her top near the office so she can make a clean exit once the deed is done.

Chris practically trips over his feet making his way into the office and throwing himself into the chair like a child set loose in a candy store, his eyes running rampant on Amy’s body.

“Do you have the handcuffs still?” She whispers against his lips, his eyes going wide in surprise.

He musters out a nod and licks his lips.

“They’re in the bedroom and in the nightstand on the left side.” He’s breathless, not believing what’s gotten over Amy.

She kissed him square on the lips.

“I’ll be back.” She offers and carried herself away from him and right up the stairs.

She makes quick work of finding the handcuffs and going through her drawer of clothes she all but forgot to take home with her and discards her clothes to put on a lacy black bodysuit that she knows Chris is a sucker for.

What she was doing was risky.

If she could do this and successfully use him the way he’s used her for the past four years then she can at least hope to walk away from him the way he deserves.

“You want me to handcuff you so you can watch me fuck you?” Chris bares her a seductive smile, leaning back in his chair and purposely spreading his legs.

Amy musters out a head shake and pressed her lips to his ear.

“I’m gonna handcuff you.” She informs him, wasting no time in cuffing him to the arm of the chair so his hands are waist level, “and you’re going to like it.”

“I already do.” He leans forward and presses a kiss against her neck.

She takes a seat on his lap after she makes him discard his clothes and he’s left in nothing but his boxers and begins to pleasure herself as she rides against him.

“Holy fuck you’re so beautiful.” His eyes go wide at her as she opens her eyes and makes eye contact with him for the first time since this has started.

She runs against him deeper, riding against her fingers and letting a small moan escape from her throat

“You like that?” She breathes out, “Are you gonna come for me, baby?” She taunts him.

His Adam’s Apple bobs at that as he tries to regain his cool.

“I’ll knock you up again, baby.” He clenches his teeth slightly, “..let me get you pregnant again, baby.”

And that’s what really makes her remember that he’s a goddamn idiot.

“You wanna knock me up again?” Amy taunts, rutting herself against her fingers, bracing her free hand on Chris’ strained thigh.

“Yes.”

“You want a boy or a girl?”

“I want a boy...name him CJ.”

Ha, figures.

When she comes to herself, her head is thrown back in ecstasy and her chest rises up and down with each passing breath.

She slides the fingers she used to get herself off in Chris’ mouth, biting back a moan as she watches him suck and salivate herself off of her fingers.

“Get on your knees.” He ruts against her demandingly, “I wanna see you suck my dick.”

And she feels like an idiot because she was actually thinking of doing it as closure for her but, the idea is long gone now and she’s had enough.

 _“No._ ” She stands to her feet, throwing her hair over her shoulders, “You can call one of your speed-dial bunnies to finish you off.”

And Chris’ face actually falls in disappointment.

“Wait, what?”

She can’t hide her smile as she locates her jeans on the other side of the office and slides them on, over her onesie and begins to pull herself together.

“You didn’t think I actually wanted to fuck you, did you?” Her voice raises in fake innocence and has the privilege of seeing his bottom lip quiver in embarrassment.

“Oh no! You did.” She throws a hand over her heart, “that’s so adorable!”

_“Adorable?”_

“It is!” She doesn’t hold back her laughter, “You called me a slut, released a sex-tape of me without my consent and damn near beat me to death in front of our son and think that I still want to be with you?”

His lip quivers silently.

“Let me tell you something.” She leans forward, giving him an eyeful of her postpartum tits (Which were basically D’s at this point), “I don’t need you, asshole. The kids don’t need you and neither do I so before you try to make yourself relevant in my life, remember that you’re _nothing_ to me.”

And he actually looks genuinely pained at that but she doesn’t give a flying shit.

If she had a dollar for every time he put her in pain, she’d be a fucking billionaire.

“Amy. Let me go.”

She laughs at that and combs a hand through her hair.

“No, I think I’ll leave you here.” She gives him a playful smile as she straightens out her posture, “Maybe you can call Parker and ask her to help? She seems like such a great help.”

_“Amy!”_

“Make sure you’re out at about midnight though, that’s when Grey needs a diaper change.”

“For fuck's sake, Amy get me out of this.”

She kisses him square on the lips one last time.

“I’ll see you in court, Chris.” She offers, “May the best man win.”

“ _Amy!”_

"Goodbye, Chris." Amy chuckles to herself, feeling like she's on top of the damn world.

It's about time she felt like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment letting me know what you thought about this chapter!
> 
> It's both heavily encouraged and greatly appreciated!


	16. You Don't Own Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There’s only one person that can bring Chris down and it’s not Amy.
> 
> There’s only one person that can get the news outlets back on Amy’s side and it’s not Amy.
> 
> And there’s only one person that can win this whole damn case at the palm of her hand.
> 
> And it’s not Amy.
> 
> It’s Meagan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Second to last chapter!
> 
> I'm forever grateful for the journey every single of you have taken with me on this story! I'm flattered by the amount of trust and love you've given me with this story and I thank every single one of you for it.
> 
> When you're done with the chapter, make sure to leave a comment at the bottom, letting me know what you think! I love hearing you guys' thoughts and opinions and somehow working them into the story somewway so please, leave me a comment!
> 
> With that being said, enjoy the 16th chapter of 'If I Never See Your Face Again'!

 I'm young and I love to be young  
  
I'm free and I love to be free  
  
To live my life the way I want  
  
To say and do whatever I please

  _-'You Don't Own Me' by Lesley Gore_

* * *

After his meeting with Madelyn and he’s back in DC, he checks the envelope she gave him.

He’s confused by this because it’s not like he’s working for Amy by any means if anything, they were co-parenting Meagan now and he doesn’t know much about parenting but he sure as hell knows it doesn’t involve communicating through a manilla envelope.

He slides the USB into the port and waits patiently as the device loads onto the computer.

In the second folder he clicks on, there are at least thirty videos collected and from the thumbnail image, it seems to be footage taken all over Amy’s house.

Not knowing what to expect, he double clicks on the first video and gets sick to his stomach.

In the first clip, Amy is on the far right side of the frame with Chris staring down at her from the center of the kitchen, his hands on his hips and his usually perfect hair in a rambunctious array piled on top of his head.

“Why the fuck do you keep calling him” Chris insists strongly as Amy hangs her head in shame, running a hand through her hair.

“Because he’s taking care of Meagan.” Amy insists, trying to keep her focus away from Chris and onto Greyson who whimpers from his baby bouncer on the right side of the frame-settled on the ground.

“I don’t give a fuck what he’s doing, I don’t want you talking to him, Amy. End of discussion.” his voice raises and Greyson practically flinches in surprise at the loud voice.

Amy turns away from him, her blonde her whipping around her like a lasso.

“He’s taking care of Meagan.” her eyes fly in the air, “That’s all he’s fucking doing, Chris, back off of him.”

Finally. She knew that he was taking care of the kid and the fact that she’s standing up for him against a jealous Chris makes it all worthwhile.

“Oh.” Chris’ eyebrows perk up as if she challenged him to a duel, “You want me to call Mallory or Candi or Besa to take ‘care’ of fucking Greyson while you head over and fuck him.”

“Fuck you, Chris.” Amy’s eyes widen at him and he watches as she turns her back to him and tries to walk away and focus herself on bending down and removing Greyson from his bouncer as he kicks in protest at the scene unfolding in front of him.

He feels his heart fall out of his ass when Chris yanks Amy by the wrist and he gives her a deathly grasp on her shaking wrist.

“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to like that?”

“I’m talking to you.” she roars back at him and before he knows it, Chris sends Amy right against the wall and she tumbles over in a large scream and sob, pleading him to stop from the ground.

There’s the sound of Greyson screaming at the top of his lungs in the background as Amy tries to stand to her feet, regaining control of herself and giving Chris a tight-lipped look.

The minute Amy’s back on her feet, Chris has his hands locked around her throat and throttles her until Amy is practically gasping and pleading for air.

“Chris, let go, let go, please.” she rasps out in pain, tears streaming down her face.

He obliges her wishes by throwing her against the floor and giving her a stern kick in her abdomen which causes her to scream louder than he’s ever heard a woman scream.

“You’re such a goddamn fucking liar.” he spits at her, not even bothering to give her a second look and instead makes his way over to the baby, picking him up as he continues to wail helplessly.

Amy remains a shaken, sobbing mess on the ground, a few bruises forming on her neck and shoulders and Dan can’t even begin to describe the amount of heartbreak he’s feeling right now.

The minute Amy sees Chris heading to exit the kitchen, she wastes no time in the struggle to get on her feet and trying her absolute hardest to get him away from Chris.

It’s a bitch move from Chris because he knows that as long as he has Greyson in his hands, Amy won’t do shit to him.

(Well, it seems like they’re both wrongs on that one)

Amy grabs a metal spoon and pelts Chris in the back with it and continues to search for miscellaneous items just to throw at Chris to get Greyson away from him.

“Stop it,” Chris orders her, stopping his movement to order her demandingly, “Are you trying to hurt my fucking kid, you psychotic bitch?”

“You’re going to hurt him, Chris.” she insists strongly, “Give him to me,” she screams at him.

Instead of declining her peacefully, he lands an open hand smack right on Amy’s face, sending her flying across the room and a large sob escaping her throat and she begins to full blow cry on the opposing side of the room.

“Fuck you!” Amy sobs out, her voice strained and laced with pain as her shoulders hunch over in fear.

He pauses the video to rid himself of watching the situation escalated any further. Between Amy being thrown around like she means nothing to Greyson screaming at the top of his fucking lungs, he’s sure he’ll go into a fucking panic over a situation he’s not even apart of.

Zooming into the date and time stamp at the top of the screen it all starts to make sense.

It happened the day they returned home from the hospital with Greyson. From the way Amy hobbles around weakly, it further confirms that she was still dealing with the aftershocks of giving birth.

Amy had only revealed to him after her press statement at City Hall that Chris did hit her but, she never mentioned anything about him fucking kicking the shit out of her and throwing her to the ground like she weighs nothing.

It doesn’t take a genius to know that there’s more on this flash drive and he’s positive that whatever is on here, would garner Amy a landslide win with the judge against Chris since there’s actual evidence of the abuse itself.

Even though Kyle said he wants to keep the fight as clean as possible, Dan knows that they have to use this as evidence.

Regardless of whether Amy wants to or not, it's her only viable option at this point.

So, he scrambles into his office with his laptop quickly, grabs a pair of headphones, notepads, pen, highlighter and locks himself in his bedroom to study this thoroughly.

He’d rather not stay up all night and watch videos of Chris throwing Amy around like a rag doll but, it’s the only thing that’ll guarantee them the win so, he has to do it.

As much as it kills him.

He clicks on the arrow leading to the next video.

And it gets worse with each passing minute.

He watches as Chris pushes Amy around, slaps her harshly a few times, screams in her face until he’s red all over and throws her against the wall.

And that’s only the first six videos he sees.

“Come here, you’re stressed out.” Chris beckons a hand towards her, leading her to the bed.

Amy sighs and combs a hand through her hair. “I can’t.” she cries out, her shoulders hunching up. “What if he stops breathing in his sleep?”

“He won’t.” Chris consoles her, bending down to wipe away at the tears streaming down her face, “He’s wearing his breathing buddy and Madelyn’s next door.”

“Chris...I don’t know-”

“Relax.” he whispers against her ear seductively, pressing his crotch into Amy from behind, “I know how to relax you.”

And from that, he sees just how much that tenses her up and her body surges in uneasiness.

“We don’t have enough time.” she tries, keeping her eyes straight, “and I’m still in a lot of pain.”

“That’s because you’re stressed, baby.” he mouths at her neck, his hands grazing down to run against her thigh, “Come on, lets fuck.”

“Chris...please, I’m in a lot of pain and I’m really tired.”

“Let me help you.” he leads her towards the bed and with that, he takes her right then and there on their bed and it’s the most horrifying thing Dan’s had to endure in a long while.

The dumb fucker doesn’t even give her the liberty to enjoy it, he just fucks the living shit out of her to the point where she’s practically screaming and crying in pain.

He decides that enough is enough and shuts out of the window projecting the situation and goes to a sub-folder with the letter ‘M’ labeled and he knows it’s for things on Meagan.

Part of him wants to avoid clicking on the folder to spare himself of whatever reality check is waiting for him in the folder.

But for the life of him, he has to know what’s wrong with Meagan.

He has to find out where all of this madness started.

So, against his better judgment, he clicks on the folder and mentally prepares himself for the rollercoaster of emotions he’s due on embarking.

And it’s quite literally like watching his kid grow up in front of his eyes.

He sees her when she’s nine years old and is doing Chris’ makeup in her bathroom mirror, the two of them falling into a fit of laughter as Amy records from the corner of the room with a smile on her face.

He sees Chris reading her a bedtime story when she’s about ten and planting a kiss on the crown of her head when she falls into a deep sleep.

It pisses him off knowing that Chris was doing all kinds of shit behind the scenes only to turn around and tuck Meagan in bed like he’s her fucking father.

It gets to the point where he’s not even pressing the arrow in anticipation to move onto the next scene, he just sits and watches as Meagan grows right in front of his eyes.

Sure, Meagan had made a significant change in the year that they’ve known each other but, to see her go from a literal child to a teenage girl is simply amazing.

And he hates that he wasn’t there to see any of this.

When Amy left him all those years ago, it never really dawned on him that she would go out and do all of this all by herself. He had figured that she would leave for a good month or two and return, informing him that she had gotten the abortion he had told her to get.

He didn’t expect her to have the kid and uproot her entire life because of it.

For all these years, he had kinda resented her for it.

Leaving him and not bothering to return to him when she knew damn well how much she loved him is the ultimate bullshit move.

If Amy had come to him...and told him that she wanted to keep the baby, he knows he would’ve been pissed for sure but maybe, with time, he would’ve changed his thought process about everything.

He never wanted to be a father by any means, he wasn’t interested in the whole concept of being responsible for raising a child when he had no background or yearning to do it in the first place.

If he wanted a child, he would’ve planned to have one.

But since he didn’t, he always avoided having one.

But had he known that he’d end up loving his kid as much as he loves Meagan then he would’ve considered it.

He slowly begins to nod off as he continues watching the videotapes-the footage starting on its own after the previous one ends and there’s a distinct singing voice that wakes him up.

“My loneliness is killing me….”

“And I……” Meagan pulls off an extravagant spin, her arms placed perfectly over her head like a well-trained ballerina, her butter blonde hair creating a cyclone like spin in the air perfectly.

In the video, as he watches it..it’s like he’s there in a weird way.

Watching Amy and Meagan, laughing full of joy along with singing and dancing at the top of their lungs like nobody’s watching makes him forget with the current state of mind he’s in right about now.

He’s not thinking about Amy’s case.

He’s not thinking about Meagan losing her mind and doing drugs to numb whatever pain she’s dealing with.

And even though he’s in the video, chatting and laughing away at the sight unfolding in front of him, he’s certainly not thinking about Chris who has the privilege of actually being present.

In the footage, Meagan is visibly younger-her butter blonde hair straightened to perfection as she dances and swirls around in a pair of black leggings and a neon pink crew-neck hoodie on as Amy’s hair bounces around in beach waves as she matches Meagan’s black leggings and a navy blue sweater.

From the date stamped at the bottom of the screen, Meagan is around twelve years old and she has a girlish smile playing on her soft features.

For the past year, he’s wondered long and hard just what Amy’s life was like without him in it. The Social Media posts from her and Chris never posed as the truth to him but, to see her be so happy and healthy with him in the picture breaks his heart.

As much as he hates to admit it, she was a lot happier when he was in the picture and before all of his shit hit the fan.

“I must confess! I still believe....” they sing in unison as Amy spins Meagan in a circle, the two of them falling into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

“Keep going! Keep going!” Chris encourages as he continues to record them with an overly expensive camera, laughing to himself.

“Still be-fuck!” Amy squeals in laughter loudly as Meagan jumps onto her back and swings her arms in the air like a maniac, her body shaking with laughter.

“When I’m not with you, I lose my mind!” Meagan continues with her perfect soprano, “Mom! Sing!”

“Give me a sign!” Amy sings through an attack of vicious giggles as Chris’ camera flashes repeatedly at them.

“Hit me, baby, one more time!” Meagan pulls off an elaborate finishing note and he can’t help but smile proudly at the screen.

The kid’s got pipes.

In their time together, he learned just how well she could sing and every time she heard her crystal clear voice...he can’t help the shock that overtakes his body.

Amy has a pretty decent voice on her own but for the two of them to produce a kid with the set of pipes Meagan has is quite amazing within itself.

It’s just such a shame that Chris has fucking poisoned her with drugs and alcohol at such an early age.

Sure, Meagan is at fault herself for a lot of her behavior but being around someone like Chris as a ‘father figure’ doesn’t help much.

And then he gets an idea.

And it might be the best idea he’s had in a while.

At that moment, it all finally dawns on him.

There’s only one person that can bring Chris down and it’s not Amy.

There’s only one person that can get the news outlets back on Amy’s side and it’s not Amy.

And there’s only one person that can win this whole damn case at the palm of her hand.

And it’s not Amy.

It’s Meagan.

* * *

_Chris Blake and Mary-Beth Hanes are officially a couple! Blake's publicist confirms that the two are 'actively seeing one another' and are 'madly in love' days before his custody hearing with ex, Amy Brookheimer._

People

_ "They're talking about marriage and babies already!" a source close to Chris Blake confirms that he and Mary-Beth Hanes are planning their futures together already. _

Vox

_ Here's what Amy Brookheimer REALLY thinks about Mary-Beth Hanes dating Chris Blake. _

Salon

_ "Playbuddies of the year!" Chris Blake posts a photo of him and son, Greyson, in matching Playboy robes as they play on Instagram. _

Vice News

_ Mary-Beth Hanes and Chris Blake confirm their relationship with an NSFW photo of them on Instagram. _

E! Entertainment

_ "Keep that whore away from my kids!" Amy Brookheimer's EXPLOSIVE message to Chris Blake. Our inside scoop reveals all! _

National Enquirer

_Amy Brookheimer looks radiant as ever as she's seen arriving at a restaurant in Downtown DC._

Washington Insider

_ Amy Brookheimer is spotted with her lawyer, Kyle Wescott, at Ocean Prime in DC and we can't help but wonder...ARE they dating? _

The Hill's Rags

_ Amy Brookheimer stuns in a lace white Donna Karan flounce top with a pair of DKNY jeans during a night out with Kyle Wescott. Shop her look NOW! _

Marie Claire

_ "They were very flirty all night. They shared two bottles of wine and laughed the whole evening, it was very cute!" a source informs us about Amy Brookheimer and Kyle Wescott's apparent date night. _

Nylon Magazine

_ Here's All You Need to Know About Kyle Wescott: Amy Brookheimer's potential new boy-toy! _

Buzzfeed

_ Brookheimer's representation slams rumors on her and Kyle Wescott dating as 'nonsense' and insists that 'nothing is going on between the two' _

Vox

_ From Marilyn Manson to Lebron James, here are all of the celebrities Kyle Wescott has represented in court.  _

The Daily Beast

* * *

 “Good Morning.” she feels Kyle’s soft lips press against her skin, sending a jolt of warmth down her body.

She smirks to herself and nuzzles deeper into the pillow, enjoying the feeling of his arm around her waist, keeping the back of her body against his broad chest.

“Hi.” she grazes her hand against his ever so slightly, arching her back into his body as she releases a soft yawn.

Then she remembers that her car is in the parking lot and it’s her turn to get Greyson from Chris’ house so, it would be wise to just roll out of bed and get ready for the day ahead of her.

But, Kyle’s so warm and the bed is so damn comfortable that she doesn’t want to leave just yet.

“I need my underwear.” She sits ups underneath the sheets, yawning to herself.

“So I can take them back off?” His eyes widen in desire.

“No.” She laughs to herself, sighing when she feels his warm hand on her thigh, “...I need to get ready to pick up Greyson.”

“We’ll shower together.” He suggests, his hands going down her body and landing on her womanhood, “Besides, it doesn’t feel like you want to leave just yet.”

That’s because she doesn’t want to.

She turns in his arms so they’re facing each other and places a kiss behind his ear.

She was gonna try and wait out in the whole ‘returning the favor with oral sex’ thing because they’re not committed partners by any means and she doesn’t like putting out and ending up empty-handed at the end of the week.

But, from the way his morning wood pokes her thigh through his boxers, she knows what she has to do.

After a few minutes of him teasing her with his fingers, she throws her hair over her shoulder and disappears under the covers to return the favor.

When she gets her mouth on him and hears the sweet satisfaction of his breathing picking up slightly, smiling to herself, feeling powerful all over.

“Shit, right there.” He bunches her hair up in his hands, keeping his eyes on her, “Just like that.”

So, she continues doing what she’s doing and relishes in his moans of satisfaction.

Then his phone rings on the nightstand.

“Answer it.” Amy encourages, running her tongue against him.

Kyle’s eyes fly wide open as he blinks at her in disbelief.

“I’m sorry?”

“Answer it.” She encourages him, “and I’ll keep doing this.” She giggles to herself the sense of adventure fizzing through her bloodstream.

Kyle takes a second to look at her to confirm what it is she’s asking of him.

“You want me to-“

“Yes.”

“While you?”

Amy pushes herself up and places a soft kiss on his lips, reaching out and fumbling for his buzzing phone.

“Yes.” She confirms with a lazy smile, “I’ll do it.” He jumps on board with the idea which prompts her to laugh softly, pressing a kiss behind his ear and kissing her way back down.

She’s pulling out all of the stops to fuck with him and his sanity-humming against him, looking him directly in the eye and using both hands to twist him up and down.

“Hello?” He doesn’t bother checking the caller-id.

“Daddy! What hotel room are you staying in?” A loud voice pierced through the receiving end of the phone causing Amy to remove her lips from Kyle completely.

For fuck’s sake.

“Uhhh, is everything okay?”

“Yes!” The little girl giggles, “Mommy and I are downstairs waiting to surprise you!”

Oh my god.

She wasted no time removing herself from the bed and scampering across the hotel, locating her underwear and purse-where she luckily has an extra toothbrush, toothpaste and a black emergency dress for times like these.

 _“Fu-un!”_ Kyle feigns nervously, removing himself from the bed and preparing to run around the room to get himself ready, “Just….stay downstairs and I’ll meet you guys for Breakfast in the hotel.”

“Daddy, Mommy says-“ and he hangs up.

“Amy.” He tries as she slides on her bra and underwear in the mirror of the bathroom, preparing herself to slide into her black dress.

“I don’t want to hear it‍.” She tells him because she simply doesn’t want to.

“At least let me explain.”

“No thanks, I’m done.” she sprints into the bathroom, turning on the faucet to begin brushing her teeth.

She knew it was too good to be true.

A handsome, charming guy who acts and treats her like an adult and also manages to be exceptional in bed.

A goddamn fantasy.

Over dinner, he had mentioned briefly that he has a daughter-Phoebe, from a previous relationship and she had swallowed that down and continued listening to him.

Who is she to judge? She has two kids with two different men, she wasn’t exactly in the right place to judge anyone for their life choices.

But had she known that this ‘previous’ relationship was his current relationship? She would’ve avoided her romantic feelings about Kyle at all costs.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Kyle practically jumping into a pair of blue jeans as he pulls out a basic black shirt.

“I didn’t know that they were coming.”

She shuts off the sink and slides her mini toiletries into the clear bag, rolling her eyes.  
“Story of my fucking life.” she stomps out of the bathroom and crosses over to the armchair where her dress is located and begins to slide into her dress, “You know, you had me fucking fooled.”

“Amy. Will you calm down and listen to me?”

“You had me fucking fooled.” she shakes her head in shame, “and to think I was beginning to actually like you.”

_“Amy-”_

She turns away and pushes his hand away from her blindly.

“I don’t want to hear it.” her hand balls up into a fist, “Just please, leave me alone.” she turns her back towards him.

She goes to retrieve her purse and leave once and for all but, Kyle reaches his hand out and grazes his hand ever so slightly against her skin

“For fuck’s sake, let me explain-”

“Explain what?” the laughter unravels her and she sounds borderline insane, “How it’s not what it looks like? How she’s just a friend that so conveniently pops up whenever you fuck someone else?” her shoulders tense up.

“She’s my ex fucking wife.” Kyle tries, “Like I said, I didn’t even know she was fucking here.”

“Well she is, with your kid and now I look like the fucking slut for sleeping with my goddamn lawyer.” she pushes him away from her.

All of this is happening at the worst possible time.

The hearing is this Sunday and not only was she fucking her Lawyer but she also just found out that said Lawyer is married.

“You’re not a slut.” he follows her.

“Ha, thanks.” her voice is dry and very unhumorous.

“Amy, I’m serious.”

“You think I need you to try and convince me otherwise? It’s all I hear from everyone around me.” she throws her hands in the air, “the last thing I was fucking expecting you to do was put me in a situation like this.”

“What can I do?” he pleads with her, “How can I get you to forgive me.”

“Win my case and get the fuck out of my life.” she grabs the doorknob and twists it open, “You can go f-”

“Daddy!”

When she turns her head, she’s met with a child who couldn’t be older than seven, staring up at her with hazel eyes and two thick black braids cascading down her back with a thick purple bow tied at the ends.

So this must be Phoebe.

“Phoebs! Hey, Honey!” Kyle tries his best to remain calm, “Where’s your Mom?”

Enter a slender woman with jet black hair and stands firmly behind Phoebe, her hands on the child’s shoulders as she eyes Amy up and down suspiciously.

“She’s right here.” she looks Amy up and down with studious eyes and Amy swears she can see the lightbulb going off in her head, “I didn’t know you had company.”

She knows that she and Kyle are quite literally the textbook images of ‘The Morning After’ and it’s so embarrassing.

Kyle opens his mouth to speak but she cuts him off to excuse herself.

“I was just leaving.” she feels Phoebe’s eyes bore into her intensely, similar to her mother, “Have a nice day.”

“I’m sure you were.” the woman gives Amy a bitchy smile as Amy wastes no time in removing herself from the situation and making a b-line for the stair exits.

She doesn’t care that Kyle is staying on the top floor of the building she needed to get out of there now.

Sure, doing the walk of shame was never fun.

But to do it in front of the guy’s wife and kid? Quite literally the worst situation to find yourself in.

She wastes no time in locating her car in the parking lot and breaking the goddamn speed limit as she leaves the extravagant hotel behind her as she releases a deep breath she didn’t even know she was hiding.

God, she was so fucking embarrassed.

Like there’s no fucking way for her to even realize just how much this situation fucked everything up for her.

Then she gets a text from Michelle.

It’s a screenshot of some sleazy reporter from Daily Mail trying to get her comment on a photo of her and Kyle arriving at the restaurant a few days ago and confirm the reports of them dating or not.

And that’s the last thing she wants to fucking deal with.

Can’t she have one thing to herself? Just one shred of privacy to hold within her some time?

She didn’t realize how much she missed secrets until she wasn’t granted the privilege of it.

Call her crazy but she was starting to enjoy her time with Kyle, it was a nice distraction from the madness surrounding her in her life.and the fact that it was pretty much a lie drives her fucking insane.

When her car stops at the red light, she breaks into a fit of tears.

At this point, she’s cried more in the past few months alone that she has in her entire life and she honestly doesn’t give a shit anymore.

If she felt like crying, alone, in her car then, by all means, she should be able to do.

She figures that picking Greyson up from Chris’ will at least help her a tad bit because his mood is infectious and it’s hard to not smile around her smiling son.

But that’s not the case today.

He’s visibly upset about god knows what and practically screams at her in anger when she tries to strap him in the car seat.

His little face is red hot and furious as his little arms and feet kick in the air and he practically curses at her in his alien baby language-all but ignoring his favorite toy as she tries her best to wean him from a meltdown.

It doesn’t work.

She hopes that by the time it hits the afternoon, Grey will have passed out from his meltdown because for the life of her she cannot deal with a mini-Chris directly in the morning after doing the walk of shame in front of a man’s ex-wife and kid.

But of course, Greyson is far from sleeping and it’s driving her insane.

There’s so much to do for this week-reviewing her custody demands in her office, finalizing Meagans’s spot at the rehab facility in Pennsylvania, talking to Lydia and Toni on what time they need to show up to get her ready for the hearing because for the life of her, she will not stress herself out on what color pantsuit she’ll be wearing and how she’s going to wear her hair.

Better her pass that responsibility onto people who actually give a damn about it.

Then she has to go and pick up Meagan and the conversation goes south real quick.

It starts okay-Amy asking her how school day was, how she was feeling, what she wants for dinner and if she still wants to visit her Grandma in Rhode Island.

And it’s going fine...until Meagan mentions her therapist.

There’s nothing wrong with Meagan going to a therapist, if anything, she applauds it. If she wants to recover from her addictions then going to a therapist is the right route to go.

But then, she mentions how her therapist wants Amy to join in on one of her sessions so they can have a ‘dynamic discussion’ and it doesn’t sit well with Amy.

She knows that this whole therapy thing must be helping Meagan in some sense because she’s not acting like a raging brat all the fucking time and is at least acknowledging Greyson’s existence.

But, with this case coming up and having to deal with the media madness that’s due to come her way as the week progresses, she doesn’t think she has the time and or mental stability to sit in on a session of Meagan most likely bashing her for the whole session.

“What do you mean you don’t think you can make it?”

“Meags.” she takes a deep breath, preparing herself for the fight she’s about to undergo with her stubborn teenage daughter, “I know this means a lot to you. I do but, with this court case coming up, I don’t know if it’s the best time for that.”

“It’s never the best time for anything I want to do,” she grumbles out, her arms folding over her chest automatically, “...fucking ridiculous.”

She snorts, “That’s not even close to being true.”

“Chris would come.”

“Chris is manipulative.”

“He would still show up.”

“Again. Because he’s manipulative.”

“So are you.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re manipulative too!”

“Meagan, I swear to g-”

“Chris told me that you’re keeping us from him so we don’t find out about you.”

For fuck’s sake, it’s not even the evening yet.

“Why are you telling me this now of all times? You couldn’t have just kept that to yourself?” Amy turns to face her for a brief second.

“You’re being ridiculous!”

“How am I being ridiculous?”

“If it’s not about you or Greyson, you don’t give a shit about it! I’m sick of it.”.

The safest thing to do at this point is to just pull off the side of the road and put the car in park before they both kill one another in the midst of another one of their typical arguments.

“Do you even know what you’re talking about right now?” Amy shuts off the car, “Do you realize what he’s trying to do with you right now?”

“Do you know what you’re trying to do to me?” she keeps her eyes straight ahead, “You never told me the truth about Dad and you’ll probably never tell me the truth about Chris because you’re manipulative as hell.”

“I’m manipulative for keeping you safe?” her voice raises in anger, “All these years of me protecting you and loving you, you see it as me being manipulative?”

“That’s because you are manipulative.” Meagan shakes her head, “You didn’t even ask me how I felt about the whole custody thing.”

“Fine!” she throws her hands in the air, “What do you want the arrangement to be? Tell me.”

“I want to live with Chris.”

“Not.” she all but forgets the talking route and turns her car back on.

“This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you. Because you never fucking listen to me.”

“You were raped by one of his friends, Meagan...and you still want to live with him. So sorry if I’m not acknowledging your demands to keep you safe.”

“I hate you.” she rolls her eyes and twists her body so she’s facing the window of her seat.

“Yeah, the first time I’ve heard that today.” she rolls her eyes as she begins driving again.

The rest of the drive is pretty much terrible, she has to listen to Meagan grumble an inordinate amount of swear words underneath her breath as she listens to her music on full blast and that alone doesn’t help much because the music she’s listening to, it’s all of her Dad’s favorites.

When they finally arrive home, they’re met with Dan’s car sitting in front of the house and she’s already over this entire day.

“Hey, there you guys a-”

“I’m going home with you.” Meagan interrupts him, stomping over to Dan’s car and throwing herself in the front seat-not even acknowledging either one of her parents.

Dan’s eyes flash from his car and over to Amy who just sits in the driver’s seat, not even paying any attention to what’s going on in front of her anymore.

“What the hell happened?” Dan shuffles towards the open driver’s seat, leaning against the car as Amy scrolls through her phone.

There’s about 23 missed calls from Kyle and 25 missed texts from Kyle alone.

Fucking dick.

“She wants to live with fucking Chris.” she rolls her eyes, “...oh, and she called me manipulative just so we’re all on the same page.”

“Wait, what?”

“She called me manipulative.”

“No, fucking he-she wants to move in with Chris?” Dan removes his sunglasses furiously, “What the fuck is wrong with her?”

“Who knows, she’s your daughter.” she grits out and returns her attention to responding to an e-mail from a college friend whose wishing her well on the hearing this week, “He probably waved something shiny in front of her face to get her to the fucking dark side.”

“What the hell is that supposed to me?”

“It means that the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, asshole.” she exits her car and slams it shut, “Now can you go...it’s be a fucking day and I’m not in the mood to get blamed for anything else.”

“Our fucking kid just said she wants to go live with Satan himself and you’re sitting here scrolling on your phone, what the hell?”

“Maybe I’m just tired, Dan. Have you ever considered that? Maybe I’m fucking exhausted of having two kids in two different age brackets screaming in my goddamn face 24/7 about how shitty of a job I’m doing, have you ever considered that?”

There’s a moment of silence.

“I know that you’re stressed but-”

“You don’t know shit, Dan.” she steps out of her car and slams the door shut, “All you’ve done is shown up after fourteen years of abandonment and magically became Dad of the Year. Now please, just get the fuck away from me.” she throws her purse over her shoulder and leaves him be.

“Amy, we’re not done with this conversation.”

“Get the fuck off of my property, Dan.” she doesn’t hold back for one moment, finally having enough of this day.

“Amy!”

“Leave me alone!” she roars, “Leave me the fuck alone.”

Eventually, he gets the hint and she can shut her goddamn garage door without having to worry about cleaning up Dan’s blood and guts from getting crushed to death by it.

But honestly? She would’ve been fine with him getting crushed to death so he could shut the living fuck up.

Luckily Natalie was able to get Greyson to calm down after she identified why he was so damn fussy the whole day-he has a pretty nasty diaper rash seeping up his back and he’s not happy about it whatsoever.

It’s about 6:30 pm so she decides to call it a day and orders in a salad and gulps down her favorite wine to relax after she dismisses Natalie for the evening, places Greyson in his toy walker and parks her ass right on her couch in front of her living room tv to watch mindless television.

Every so often, there’ll be a distinct buzz from her phone that she all but ignores.

Everyone in her life is so lucky that she hasn’t fired off a round of ‘Go fuck yourself’ texts to every single one of them.

Then she notices Greyson beginning to nod off in his walker so, she removes him and keeps him next to her on the couch since she figures she’ll just take him up with her when she goes upstairs.

He stirs awake when Amy brings him to her lap and his eyes widen at her in surprise.

“We’re going to stay down here for a second, Grey.”

He gives her an incoherent answer but from the sounds of it, he agrees.

It’s fucking insane that her son of all people is one of the most coherent people to talk to because he can’t even fucking talk.

Maybe that’s why he’s so good at it.

She watches sleepily as he reaches out to touch her nose, his small fingers grazing her skin gently.

“You see my nose?” she laughs lazily, allowing herself to enjoy the pure innocence of the moment, “You have your Dad’s nose but you have Mommy’s laugh.”

And he giggles at that like the cutest fucking kid ever birthed.

“See!” she joins in on the giggles, “You have Mommy’s laugh!”

She plays around with him for a few minutes, peeking up now and then to get a good look at what’s on tv-it’s nothing much, just some mindless Drama on HBO she catches now and then.

The door rings when it’s around 9:30 and both her and Grey have fallen into a small slumber.

Moving carefully, she places a sleeping Greyson in his pillow bed and pads her way over to the opening foyer quietly to avoid waking him up.

And when she opens the door, it’s exactly who she fucking expects.

“Before you close the door on me-”

And that’s what she does until Kyle pushes his hand out and blocks the door from shutting and he props it back open.

“Kyle-”

“Can I please talk to you?” Kyle pleads, his eyes going wide at her.

“I don’t think your wife would appreciate that.” she rolls her eyes, “I know I wouldn’t.”

“She’s my ex-wife.” he insists strongly.

“And why didn’t you mention that during our date?” her voice is softer, the tears stinging at the back of her eyes, “You could’ve...could’ve fucking told me and I would’ve backed off. Instead, you embarrassed me and now I look like a fucking slut in front of your supposed, ex-wife and kid.”

“I tried to tell you...I did but, I didn’t know how to mention it. I figured that you thought of me like a fucking rebound and figured that it didn’t matter.”

And that pisses her off because she was starting to like this loser.

“For fuck’s sake.” she breathes out, not believing her life right now, “I like you, you fucking asshole,” she whisper hisses at him to avoid waking Greyson up.

Kyle’s eyes widen at her in silence and she takes it as her cue to tell him how she feels.

“When I’m around you….I feel like myself. You don’t care that I’m on my phone all the time, you don’t care that my exes are the spawn of satan and you treat me like a fucking human, do you know how long I’ve waited for someone to treat me like that? For some strange reason, I didn’t feel like this with Dan or Chris, I only feel like this when I’m around you and I don’t hate it.” she swipes away at the tears sliding down her face.

Damn hormones.

“I don’t know how you feel about me and quite frankly, I don’t care anymore. So until Sunday, let’s just...remain professional for the sake of the hearing because that’s what’s important now and after that, we go our separate ways and forget this ever happened.” she braces her hand on the doorknob.

“Amy. I like you, a whole lot.” he offers, his eyes softening at her.

“You don’t have to lie to me.” she offers a weak smile, “...you should probably head back to your hotel though, they’re probably looking for you.”

“Amy, don’t do this, pleas-”

“I’m sorry.” she feels the tears threatening to spill out, “I….I gotta go.” she takes a step back and moves to shut the door.

When the door is closed and she’s all alone again, she practically feels her heart snap in half.

It’s not like she loved him, it’s just...it hurts to get used over and over again like a cheap toy for everyone else’s satisfaction.

For a moment, she leans her head against the wooden door and sighs to herself, not knowing what to do and where to go next.

If this is her life-sleeping with men who don’t tell her that they are/were married, men who throw her against walls when they got mad at her and men who abandon her then she’ll be single forever.

And at this point, she’s fine with that.

* * *

  _BREAKING: Chris Blake viciously slaps and throws Amy Brookheimer to the ground in recovered surveillance footage._

NBC News

_ Chris Blake screams at Amy Brookheimer in front of their newborn son in surveillance camera footage. _

Associated Press

_ VIDEO: Chris Blake gleefully boasts about cheating to Amy Brookheimer in leaked iPhone footage. _

E! Online

_ "Get the **** off of me!" Amy Brookheimer pleads with Chris Blake seconds before he violently throws her to the ground. _

Mashable

_ Chris Blake is under fire for 'pressuring' Amy Brookheimer into sex TWO WEEKS after delivering their son via C-Section. _

The Guardian

_ "Chris knows that he's not perfect and is extremely embarrassed by the behavior displayed in the leaked video. He feels that this matter is private and should be handled as such, in the hands of the Judges." a representative from the Blake camp speaks out after a series of videos highlighting Blake's abusive attitude towards Amy Brookheimer is released. _

Sky News

_ Political Powerhouses and Stars take to Twitter to lend their support to Amy Brookheimer after leaked videos. _

Mother Jones

_ Sorry, Amy Brookheimer, we still don't believe your sob-story. _

Fox News

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, he didn't leak the videos.

He certainly thought about it and even presented the idea to both Michelle and Kyle over the phone in their 'Amy Crisis Support Group' meeting but, the idea didn't exactly go over well and lead to a chorus of shame from the fucking peanut gallery.

"That's fucking ridiculous." Michelle grimaced at him.

"What the fuck is up with you people leaking shit?" Kyle's nose furrowed at him.

With that, part of him wished that he could've just leaked the damn thing to rid of this overwhelmingly long court process but, he certainly didn't fucking do it.

But that's not good enough to convince Amy so, she calls an executive meeting for everyone to get the fuck over to her house the minute the clock hits noon the day after it's leaked-which sets them on Wednesday.

He understands that this entire situation can be upsetting for Amy because she can't seem to have her own private life to live without everyone in the world know about every single thing she does within a moment's notice.

But for fuck's sake, can she just...accept that it happened and run with it?

There's too much shit going on around them from still dealing with Meagan's rape to this whole court fiasco thing in four days and if she can't handle what's coming at her now, she'll be a fucking mess by the time Sunday rolls around.

From the way Amy's bleak face greets them when she comes down the stairs with Greyson in her arms, he can already tell that this strategy session is about to go real south real quick.

(He's never been happier to keep Meagan from school and back home because had she been present, this would've been the fucking Wars of the Roses all over again.)

"So with the tape being leaked, where does that put Amy?" Michelle asks as she leans over and takes Greyson from Amy who sinks in her chair with an angry look on her soft features.

Kyle sighs and adjusts his glasses, "Well for starters, it puts us in good hands with the public because we're finally getting Amy's side of the story to replace the plotholes of Chris' version of the story but, we're at a slight disadvantage."

"Slight?" Amy's eyebrows pop up at him, "What's the issue?"

Kyle takes a deep breath and flips through his leather-bounded notebook. 

"It appears..that the Judge who will be in fact, ruling your case goes back with the Blake family both personally and professionally thanks to his close relationship with Chris' Grandparents."

"Easy. We can put in a request or some shit to get him out of the case. If he's deciding the main decision there's no way in hell she'll get the kids. No offense, Ames." he adds the last line in for extra measure.

"I hate my life." Amy ignores him and shakes her head to herself in silence as Greyson chatters away in his weird alien language from Michelle's lap, his eyes looking over the wooden table they all sit around.

"None of that should matter, the surveillance footage shows that he's guilty of doing all of these things." Michelle removes a lock of her hair from Greyson's grip, "and if the judge is too blind to see that then there are ways to call him out on that."

There's a moment of silence as he looks over to Amy who finally looks up from her lap and scans the three people in front of her.

His biggest fear is that she'll look him dead in the eye and accuse him of something he didn't do. Not only because he knows damn well just how quickly she'll remove him from her and Meagan's life if she doesn't believe him but also because he can't stand lying to her all over again.

She takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair, blinking back a few tears.

"Michelle. Did you leak the video?"

Shocked isn't even the word to surprise just how taken aback he is by that one.

He's not the only one who's sitting in stunned silence-Kyle's eyes go wide behind his thick black frames and Michelle's jaw is dropped in clear bewilderment.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Michelle's voice is thick.

"Did you or did you not, leak that video?" Amy wipes away at her eyes, keeping her viewpoint on the table.

Well fuck.

Never in a million years did he ever picture shit going this way. Even though he's happy he didn't catch the wind of being blamed, he's just in so much shock that out of all people...she picked Michelle to accuse. 

As close as Dan thinks he is to Amy, he knows that both Amy and Michelle are two peas in a fucking pod. They were always doing god knows what together like a pair of best friends at summer camp.

"Why would you even think that I would do something like t-"

"I told you ages ago that there was a possibility of the cameras picking up on that-"

"But that doesn't mean that I would leak the videos!"

Amy practically hits her hand on the table, startling the room and poor Greyson who watches the two adults argue like teenage girls.

"You were the only fucking person I told!" Amy's face flares red in anger, "Besides, you fucking hate Chris."

"You hate Chris too!" Michelle defends herself, "Did you release the tape?"

"I didn't release anything." Amy roars at her, "You think I want this? You think I want people going through my life and using it for fucking clickbait. I fucking hate it! You know I do."

"No one here is saying you _don't_ hate it." Michelle speaks with a free hand, the other one is used to hold Greyson upright, "All I'm saying is that I've been there for you through thick and fucking thin and you're accusing me of doing something as ridiculous as leaking a fucking tape. Are you kidding me?"

"Michelle! I told  _you_ and only you that he might've had it! If you did it to help me, that's fine, but I'm pissed off that you didn't speak to me before doing it." 

And it only escalates from there.

He's not about to be the fucking idiot that tries to stop the two from arguing, from the looks on their faces and how they're bringing shit up from months ago, he can tell that this was bound to happen. From the moment he sat down at this table, he knew shit would go south.

He looks over at Kyle who looks like he's a teenage girl caught in the middle of her two parents arguing over fucking custody and it's quite comical. 

If the rumors about him and Amy are true, then he better get his punk ass in gear and prepare himself for much more riffs like this between her and Michelle because even though they're the best of friends, they can argue like a pack of teenage girls.

At one point, he doesn't even know what it is they're arguing about if he's being honest.

When he looks at his phone, it's clear they've been arguing for more than five minutes and show no intention of slowing down at any rate.

 _"Everyday_ you tell us how over you are with Chris and his bullshit but then the minute you're lonely you run to his house," Michelle reveals and everyone turns to Amy for her reaction; including a new whimpering Greyson.

"What are you talking about?" 

"You had sex with him like last week!" Michelle informs the group and it's Dan's turn to be shocked all over.

So Amy and Chris consensually had sex after she so vividly told everyone in the whole wide world that she was sick of him and his bullshit? She slept with him after finding out that his fucking friend raped their kid? After he fucking threw her to the ground repeatedly?

For a quick fuck with her abusive ex, she forgot all of that?

"You fucked him?" Dan can't help but confront her over it.

Amy's eyes flash at him dangerously,

"Pipe down, you don't know shit, Dan," Amy warns him, moving on to Michelle.

"I know that he has something to do with my fucking daughter getting raped." 

"You don't think I know that? You don't think I sit up all night thinking of just how much I've fucked my own kid up?" she challenges him.

"Maybe, if you were thinking with your brain instead of your cunt, I wouldn't be doubting it!" 

 "You know what, Dan." Amy stands to her feet and crosses over to remove a now crying Greyson from Michelle's grasp, "You can go fuck yourself. All of you can go fuck yourself, I'm sick of you all."

Then Kyle tries to speak up.

"Ames, hey-"

"No, fuck you too!" she roars, giving everyone her back and making her way up the stairs, "Natalie? I want everyone gone, now!" she roars from the top of the stairs over Greyson wailing away.

Michelle throws her purse over her shoulder and groans loudly,

"Someone call me when she's done having her bitch fit. I'm not in the fucking mood to deal with this fucking bullshit."

Then it's just him and Kyle alone, sitting on opposite ends of the table.

This is the first time Dan's really gotten to size him up, alone, without Amy around acting like he's the most interesting person in the world.

He's not terrible looking by any means which is certainly up Amy's alley.

He must either be fucking hilarious or a goddamn beast in the sheets for Amy to even sniff his way.

"So, you fuckin' Amy?" he doesn't waste time in getting to the point.

Kyle looks up from his notebook with a furrowed brow and looks over his shoulder as he closes the notebook, "I'm sorry?"

"Are you fucking the mother of my child?" Dan puts more bass in his voice, squaring his shoulders up and adjusting his glasses, "I mean, it's all the press will talk about nowadays."

Kyle shakes his head at that and removes his glasses, looking him straight in the eye.

"If there's anything Amy would like for you to know about our completely professional relationship then I suggest you answer. In regards to our personal relationship, I'd stay out of it because it has nothing to do with you."

And he slams the door shut behind him.

So much for getting to the bottom of shit.

* * *

_ Meagan Brookheimer returns to social media with a revealing letter that highlights a life of abuse from her stepfather, Chris Blake. _

CNN

_ Meagan Brookheimer reveals that she was only ten years old when she was molested by her Aunt's former boyfriend. _

Newsmax

_ "For years you've made my Mother out to be the bad guy and I'm not letting it go unnoticed anymore." Click here to read the top ten revelations from Meagan Brookheimer's letter. _

_ Meagan Brookheimer takes full responsibility for her arrest for drug and alcohol possession and even reveals that she is working on a foundation in honor of her late friend, Sam Magro's honor sometime in the near future. _

New Republic

_ The Brookheimer and Blake Feud just got even hotter. Meagan Brookheimer, the daughter of Brookheimer and stepchild of Blake, has posted a five-page letter on Instagram indicating the abuse he inflicted on her and her mother for the past five years. _

Alternet

_ Meagan Brookheimer is now America's Sweetheart thanks to her eye-opening essay that has now been liked 3.4 million times on Instagram. _

Mother Jones

_ Meagan Brookheimer reveals she was raped by one of Chris Blake's closest friends not too long ago. _

Jacobin

_ What We Could All Learn from Meagan Brookheimer.  _

Teen Vogue

_"I don't care if I'm drunk, drugged or sober....your sexual thoughts about me does not count as my consent." read the top five girl-power quotes from Meagan Brookheimer's now-iconic essay._

Marie Claire

_ Meagan Brookheimer cites her childhood idols, Elton John and Barbara Streisand, for being the soundtrack of her life and getting her through the 'lowest moments' of her life. _

Buzzfeed News

_ Meagan Brookheimer is now the youngest and fastest person ever to break an Instagram like/comment record by receiving at least one million likes in under 21 minutes. _

Cosmopolitan

_ How Meagan Brookheimer became the most important player in the Blake vs Brookheimer showdown. _

The New York Times

* * *

 The Dinner the night before the hearing is awkward as hell.

Amy is still visibly shaken over the fact that Meagan released the letter without her knowing about it, Meagan is upset because her Mom is upset with her and she thinks that she shouldn’t be and Dan….

Dan’s just upset that everyone around him is so fucking upset.

Since this is the last night that everything will truly be normal, he takes the initiative and steps in and cooks Dinner for everybody so they don’t go to sleep both angry and hungry.

He looks over at Amy who has her chin in the palm of her hand with her eyes drooping heavily. Needing a change of view, he looks at Meagan who leans back in her seat; ignoring her spaghetti altogether.

This alone is how he knows that shit is not sitting in the air right because Meagan adores his spaghetti; she demanded it twice a week because it was that good.

Part of him wanted to continue his job as the mediator between the two and just have them air out their grievances right then and dare to just get over this cloud of darkness but, he values his life and would like to leave the table unscathed.

But Meagan beats him to it.

“What’s wrong, Mom?”

Shit.

Amy looks up from the dish slowly, her heavy-lidded eyes hanging low on her beautiful blue eyes as she blinks at her daughter in confusion.

“Nothing.” Amy feigns, “..Just thinking that’s all.” she feigns and returns her sight back to the plate on the table.

It’s quiet again.

Until…..

“What are you thinking about?”

Amy looks back up in confusion, not knowing how to react.

“Stuff.” she shrugs off, not spending much time on the subject.  
“Why don’t you speak up then?”

“Excuse me?”

“Meagan-” he tries but it’s no use.

Meagan takes a deep breath and looks up from her plate, giving Amy a slight glare.

“Instead of sitting around and sulking about how awful your life is. Why don’t you speak up and say something already?”

Shit.

This has been brewing for so long that there’s quite literally nothing much he can do because, at this point, them hashing out whatever feelings they have was inevitable at this point.

“You want me to say something, do you? You want me to say how I really feel?”

“Ames.”

“I’d rather that than sitting here and listening to you lie about just how awful and tragic your life is. Why can’t you be honest for once in your life and tell me the goddamn trut-”

“Don’t swear at me!” Amy viciously roars, her voice hitting an all-time high as both he and Meagan practically jolt in their seats in surprise, “Don’t you fucking sweat at me, Meagan!”

Her face is red-hot, her eyes are practically bulging out of its sockets and it’s quite possibly the closest she’s looked to herself since 2012.

“You want me to be honest? You want me to tell you the goddamn truth?” Amy blinks at her, “...I have worked my ass off into exhaustion every day of your life to make sure you never needed anything. You think I wanted to fucking raise you all by myself after everyone swore up and down I’d be nothing but a terrible mother? I have gone through so much just to make sure that you have something stable in your life and you can’t even stop thinking about yourself for one minute to stop and realize it.”

“You didn’t do anything for me!” Meagan retorts, “When you weren’t on your phone or jetting off to god knows where I was at Grandma and Grandpa’s house.”

“That’s what I had to do!” Amy protests strongly, “How else do you think I paid for this fucking house? You may not realize this yet because you’ve been using Chris and I’s credit cards to supplement your habits but things cost money, Meagan. I didn’t want to go to fucking Nevada with Jonah for a red-neck convention when you were two and had a stomach virus but I did it to supplement a fucking income for us.”

Meagan stares in silence, her mouth gaping open.

“You act like you were alone but you weren’t. You had Chris and now you have Dad.”

Please don’t mention him for fuck’s sake. Chris isn’t the best company to be associated with right about now.

“Your Dad left me!” Amy reveals furiously, “Why else do you think I never let you know about him? Because he fucking left me high and dry while I was pregnant with you and had you known why you would’ve never been the same.”

Shit. Shit. Shit.

This is quite literally the last thing he wants to get into. Between Amy finally losing her shit and Meagan being the one causing her to lose her shit, he knows that this fight can go all night if the two women really wanted to, but they have a court case tomorrow and won't show up as the undead.

“Amy. Sit d-”

“Shut up!” she shuts him down instantly, “Shut the fuck up and let me talk!”

“What is wrong with you?” Meagan stares at her mother in bewilderment.

“Everything!” she insists strongly, “I don’t know if you’ve been living under a rock or just not giving a damn but everything is turning to shit and you’re too busy only caring about yourself to notice.”

Meagan opens her mouth to speak but Amy cuts her off.

“You released a letter filled with things you never told me about, and maybe I’m a shitty parent because I didn’t know about it but….you could’ve fucking told me, Meagan. And the fact that you didn’t and told a million strangers about it...before me?”

Amy takes a deep breath, trying to figure out what to say.

“I don’t know what to say to you anymore.” Amy declares, “I just ...I don’t know what else to say. I said I’m sorry, I said that I’m here for you and that you could tell me anything but, you’re acting as if I don’t care but the problem is Meagan, as much as you don’t think it...I'll _always_ care.”

When he looks up, he sees a single tear streaming down Meagan’s face as she looks down at the table in shame.

“Tomorrow you have to talk on the stand and since you’re such an adult, I’ll let you make an adult decision.” Amy slides her chair under the table and goes to retrieve her purse from the kitchen counter, “If you want to live with Chris so badly, you say that, but if you want to live with me, you say that.” Amy leaves it at that and turns around on her heel, inching towards the front door.

“I’ll see you two tomorrow.” Amy turns on her heel and doesn’t even bother to look back for one second, leaving both him and Meagan in the dining room.

When the vibrations of the slamming door ring through his walls, he throws his fork on the table and slaps his face in his hands.

"Was that necessary?" he grumbles at her in annoyance.

"She was acting like a brat."

"Like you were any better! Meagan, do you know what your Mom has been through these past few years?" he addresses her head-on, making direct eye-contact.

"We've all been through something."

"Do you know how many hits your Mom has taken to protect you? How many times she's had to throw herself in front of you to make sure Chris' anger didn't leave a mark on your body? That woman has basically sacrificed her life and body for the past five years to make sure you never had to worry about anything and this is how you repay her? Screaming in her face over a situation she had no control over?"

The teenage girl opens her mouth to speak but he's not having it tonight.

It's time for her to listen to what he has to say.

"She's not perfect, nobody is. But guess what, she's the closest thing you'll ever get to it because that woman loves you and your brother more than anything in this world and she would go to her grave keeping you safe, something Chris wouldn't even consider doing."

Meagan's eyes are glossy with tears and her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. 

He would feel bad about getting this upset with his kid because he doesn't like to be the villain with her.

But, the way she's been disrespecting Amy for the past few months have been terrible and Dan's about sick of it. 

"Can I be excused?" Meagan's voice is small and emotional, indicating she has a good fifteen seconds before going into a total meltdown the size of the Gulf. 

"Go upstairs." Dan waves towards the staircase, "And when you get up there, think about what you've done because first thing in the morning, we're going by your Mom's so you can apologize for your behavior and go to the courthouse with her because there's no way in hell you're testifying for Chris."

She stays still in her seat.

 _"Now._ " Dan's voice is stark with diction and demand, forcing the teenage girl to slide out of her seat and head upstairs with her head hanging down.

He watches as she stalks away from him, her legs making their way up the staircase and he figures that one more punch oughta get her behavior in line.

"Hey Meags?" he calls from the table.

Her stomping steps pause.

"Yes, Dad?" the irritation is clear in her voice.

"You're grounded for two weeks for talking to your Mom like that." he picks up his phone and begins to scroll through it, " _Goodnight."_

To Meagan's credit, she holds back the teenage angst groan she wants to release at the top of her lungs and opts for a head nod and a meek goodnight to Dan who sits at the table with an amused expression on his face.

That'll teach her.

* * *

 When she opens the door later that night, she’s met with Kyle.

Instead of him wearing one of his suits, he’s dressed normally in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt, his jet black hair glistening in the light of the moon as he stands on her doorstep.

“I know you don’t want to talk to anybody and that you want to be alone but, I couldn’t sit at home knowing that you were thinking that all of this is your fault…” his eyes are wide at her, “So, I got you some Ice Cream because I know it’s your favorite and...I don’t even have to stay, I just wanted you to know that I l-”

Aloud and pathetic sob escapes her throat and she’s breaking down into tears all over again, her head hanging down in shame.

She’s so sick of crying.

She’s so sick of feeling this sense that she can’t trust or talk to anybody because of her current predicament, it’s so hard for her to actually believe that people will choose to do the good versus the bad that she’s kept herself secluded from everybody to avoid getting hurt again.

But as much as she tries, she simply can’t stop crying for the life of her.

Not to mention the fact that she’s standing in her silk bathrobe and her hair is dripping wet from her just coming out of the shower a few minutes ago.

 _“Fuck.”_ Kyle mutters to himself, “I knew I shouldn’t have come over. I just...I figured you’d like Ice Cream because you really like it and I just had to see you because I’m so fucking sorry that this happened to you.”

But for some strange reason, she wants to see Kyle.

As crazy as it may seem, she wants to snuggle up with him underneath the covers, she wants him to run his long fingers through her hair, she wants him to geek out over god knows what to keep her mind in control.

But most importantly, she wants him here, with her, so she can just feel normal for once in her life.

“I know you said you didn’t want us to be together but...I just couldn’t stop worrying about you.”

She takes a deep breath at that, leaning against the frame of her door, blinking her eyes up at him-making sure he’s really standing in front of her and isn’t a figment of her imagination.

“I want you here,” she admits with a soft voice, “I want you here...with me, so I can just relax for a minute or two.”

Kyle nods along at that, his eyes rounding at her.

“What else do you need?”

For the videos to never get leaked, for Chris to not be a fucking psychopath, for Meagan not to hate her...and for this breakup to be easier than it is.

"Someone to just...distract me for the night. I just can't think about the case because I know if I do...I'll go crazy."

She still upset with Kyle over the whole wife showing up thing if she's being honest. Ever since the meeting went wrong at her house on Wednesday, she kept her distance from him and didn't speak to him to just avoid him altogether.

She figured if she ignored him hard enough, her feelings for him would just go away.

But they don't.

They increase more if anything.

"We can watch a movie," he suggests, running a hand through her hair, "and anything else you want to do. I'm here for you."

Slow with her movements, she takes his hand and leads him to the living room and sets them up with pillows and blankets on the couch, landing on the first feel-good movie she can find.

It's the 'First Wives Club'. 

The funny thing about the movie was that it was always Amy's go-to whenever she had relationship troubles or needed to just laugh at how awful men are.

Halfway through the movie, she finds herself positioned against Kyle's chest as he wraps his arms around her waist from behind the two of them lazily laughing at the television in front of them.

Then the whole wife thing hits Amy again and she doesn't know how to stomach the guilt of possibly being with a married man while his wife is home waiting for him.

She just wasn't one of those women who did that.

So, she approaches the subject head-on.

"Does your wife know you're here?" 

"Nope. We're not doing this." Kyle gives a slight sigh and grabs the remote from the coffee table, pausing the film much to Amy's wail of protest as she sees what he's doing, "We're talking about this."

"Why'd you turn off the movie?" 

"To tell you that Cynthia is my ex-wife and we divorced four years ago when Phoebe was three and I caught Cynthia sleeping with one of her students in our bed back home." Kyle reveals, "That is why we are no longer married and I have no intention of ever marrying her again."

 _"Oh,_ " Amy mutters, feeling like the biggest idiot in the fucking world.

Damn her and her fucking hormones on exploding every other second of the day. 

"I didn't know," she admits feeling red with guilt.

Kyle tilts her chin upward and looks at her sympathetically.

"I know you didn't. That's why I'm telling you." he gives a soft grin, "During our first date, I should've told you and I apologize for not doing it earlier. But, I don't want my ex-wife to impact what I have with you."

"Kyle...as much as I like you...I just don't know if I'm ready for a relationship." she admits cautiously, "I don't know if I can be fully invested into being with someone else especially with Grey and Meagan."

Just because she's not ready now doesn't mean she won't be ready in a year or two. 

As much as she likes Kyle and his company, she wants to wait it out before they dive into a relationship with one another. She needs time to really grow and be single for a while before she commits to another relationship.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about." Kyle takes a deep breath, "After the case, I'm heading back to Seattle and taking a year off. It's nothing permanent, just some time off to spend with Phoebs."

She nods at that, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, "That sounds nice.".

He reaches out to stroke her hand gently.

"Maybe one day you can come out and visit." he suggests, "I'd love to take you around."

She gives a small laugh at that, feeling her heartbeat in her toes and tries to play it off but fails naturally,

"I'd....I'd love that," she admits, leaning forward to press a kiss on the sharp cut of his jaw.

They decide that enough is enough with the 'pre-relationship' talk and continue to watch the movie-this time with Amy's head resting on his chest and Kyle's arm wrapped around her waist as he strokes her skin gently.

"Kyle? Kyle hand me my phone." she taps his chest as the end scene begins on the television and the three women, all wearing white, break into song the way she's always loved. 

"Why? What's wrong." 

"My phone! Just hand it to me." she's laughing over herself, "Hurry."

He reaches his arm out and plucks the phone from the coffee table and hands it to her with a confused look

"Something happen?" Kyle tries to peer over her shoulder in concern but she giggles at him as she shushes him.

She opens a conversation with her stylist and texts her a simple message.

 

 

>   _How many women's suits in white can you find before tomorrow?_

"Nothing." she smiles to herself, "I can't tell you yet."

Lydia texts back almost instantly.

 

 

 

> _As many as you need. Did you have something in mind?_

She takes one last look at the screen in front of her, watching the three women dance and sing in all white, smiling to herself.

 

 

 

> _I need three and yes, I have something in mind. Have you seen 'First Wives Club'?_

Lydia texts back.

 

 

 

> _I think I know where you're going with this! Don't worry! It's handled!_

And this is already her best plan she's ever made.

* * *

 

The next morning is pure chaos.

But in a good way.

Lydia has the three white pantsuits she requested on the clothing rack, being steamed by one of Lydia's assistants, Toni working on her hair, Natalie running around and helping her with any business documents she needs to sign and Greyson in her lap, chattering his usual baby nonsense. 

Then Michelle arrives and Amy's energy must be so fucking radiant and positive because for a split second, Michelle looks genuinely concerned for her life.

"You told me to come by?" she enters Amy's bedroom as Toni straightens her hair, "I thought I was meeting you at the courthouse."

"Did you get my text last night?"

"About meeting you here? Yeah, you told me that you had an idea and to see you about it immediately."

And Amy can barely contain herself.

So, she tells Michelle the plan.

And no surprise, she loves it just as much as she does. 

At this point, Amy's nerves have been replaced with new-found confidence and there's nothing more she wants to do than rub it all in Chris' face and get custody of both of her kids like so so rightfully deserves. 

Even though she absolutely detests the media having all of this interest in her private life, she knows how to play the game when it matters most. 

And she knows for a fact that's something she has over Chris. 

Just because she doesn't like it doesn't mean she's not good at it.

"Did you hear Mary-Beth is going to be there?" Toni informs the room as he finishes a section of Amy's hair, reaching for a hot comb to straighten out her ends. 

"Really?" Michelle looks up from the vanity mirror, her eyes going wide, "Did you know that?" she turns to Amy.

Amy shrugs her shoulders as she plays with Greyson's fingers, "Now I do. And good for her, maybe she'll be able to sit at the adult's table." 

Part of her is worried about the third pantsuit because it is in fact, meant for Meagan and the only way this will work is if she's here, testifying for her and wearing the suit.

She's obviously more worried about Meagan showing up versus her wearing the actual suit but, she'll take whatever she'll get at this point.

"Are we doing the blazer with cleavage for you or Michelle, Ames?" 

"You can give it to Mich." Amy scrolls through her email feed in one hand and balancing a babbling Greyson in the other, "It is a custody hearing still, I have to at least be respectful." 

Michelle looks up from doing her makeup and over to the blazer.

"If I can button it up I'll take it." Michelle offers.

And this is what she enjoys.

Having a friend to laugh with and take her mind off of things as she gets ready for her custody case. 

They're halfway through getting dressed when Meagan and Dan both arrive, with Meagan already wearing a white pantsuit and her butter blonde hair styled into a perfect half-up and half-down style that softens her features.

"Mom? Can I talk to you for a second?" Meagan nervously plays with her hands. 

"One second, Meags." she waits as Lydia finishes altering her blazer, "Let me get this fixed."

From the exterior, they both look good.

Dan's dressed in one of his infamous blue suits and has a pair of aviators resting on the top of his forehead with Meagan following suit with the aviators and differing from him with her white pantsuit.

Once she's settled and dressed, she goes into the hallway with Meagan and sits at the couch near the railing.

"So, what did you want to-"

And she hugs her. 

Squeezes her tighter than she ever has and releases a sigh of relief into Amy's shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Mom. For everything." her voice warbles in emotion, "I should've never said any of that stuff to you...and I'm so sorry that I did. Really, Mom. I'm so sorry. I promise I'll be better."

And this is what she's been waiting for.

She's been yearning for this moment for so long.

And she wants to savor it because it may happen once in a lifetime for all she knows.

"Thank you, baby. I appreciate it." she takes a deep breath and kisses the crown of her head, wiping away the lipstick smudges, "Please though, if you ever feel like that ever again. No matter how upset you may think I'll get, please let me know, okay?"

"Okay," she whispers meekly against her shoulder, keeping Amy close, "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, baby." she doesn't waste a moment in returning the affection.

Since they're short on time and needed at the courthouse shortly, they all disperse and begin to assemble into the car service the minute Kyle arrives in her driveway with two Escalades waiting for them.

She, Michelle and Kyle get into one car with Dan and Meagan following in a car right behind them. 

As she bids farewell to Greyson and Natalie from her seat, Dan appears at the side of the door with his aviators now covering his eyes.

"You ready?" he eyes her up and down.

She sighs and places her white purse on her lap, "Ready as I'll ever be."

Dan pats her thigh gently and offers her a warm smile, "Go get em, Tiger." he smirks at her and turns on his heel to make his way to the car. 

"Oh...Ames?"

"Yes?" she turns her neck to get a good look at Dan whose outside of the car.

"You make a pretty hot Goldie Hawn." 

And that might be the nicest compliment she's gotten in a while.

"Thanks." 

And she genuinely means it this time.

* * *

_ Thousands of women ranging from young girls to adult women are at Moultrie Courthouse in support of both Amy and Meagan Brookheimer [Photos] _

USA Today

_ Chris Blake arrives at custody hearing in a custom Thom Browne suit. [Photos] _

Gawker

_ Upon arrival to his court hearing, a crowd of protestors BOO Chris Blake [Video] _

Newsweek

_ “When I grow up I want to be Meagan Brookheimer. I love how confident and caring she is!” thirteen yeas old girl, Evelyn, tells us why she looks up to Meagan Brookheimer upon her arrival at the Moultrie Courthouse. _

NPR

_ “This entire process she [Amy] has gone through inspired me to leave my abusive husband of fifteen years. God bless her.” Amy Brookheimer supporter, Marsha Paines, speaks to reporters on the steps of Moultrie Courtbouse where Brookheimer is set to appear. _

MSNBC

_ BREAKING: Amy Brookheimer just referenced the iconic film, ‘First Wives Club’ with her outfit as arrived at her hearing against ex-Chris Blake, and it’s AMAZING. _

Buzzfeed

_ Moment: Amy Brookheimer pulls a subtle yet classic 'First Wives Club' reference with her outfit as she arrives at her custody hearing against ex-partner, Chris Blake, and social media is hailing her for her creativity and subtle message! _

Twitter Moments: 1.2 Million Tweeting About This

_ Amy Brookheimer, Meagan Brookheimer, and Michelle York link arms as they make their way into Moultrie Courthouse today. [Video] _

Daily Mail

_ Amy Brookheimer looks radiant as ever as she arrives at court for custody hearing. [Photos] _

The Washington Insider

_ Amy Brookheimer pulls the ultimate BOSS move and subtly tells ex, Chris Blake, ‘You Don’t Own Me’ with iconic white pantsuit outfit from ‘First Wives Club. _

GQ Magazine

  
_ Amy Brookheimer arrives at Moultrie Courthouse and smiles at excited supporters [Photos] _

Getty Images

_ Lydia Parker on Amy Brookheimer’s White Pant-Suit _

Vogue

“It was her [Amy’s] idea actually,” Lydia reveals to me over the phone after I ask her how she managed to pull off one of the year’s best fashion moment, “We had something else in mind to take the responsibility off of Amy because she was having a rough week and the last thing we wanted to do was have her strain over what to wear in such a public setting. But then, the night before the hearing….she calls me and has this idea of wearing a white pantsuit similar to what Goldie Hawn wore at the end of ‘The First Wives Club’ and from there on, we planned.”

“For her, it was more than a white pantsuit. What she was touched by, at the end of the film, was that these three women deciding from there on that no man owns them and that they’re own personal happiness if far more important than anyone who isn’t themselves, and you can tell she [Amy] was genuinely moved by that.”

“And to have her daughter [Meagan] and Michelle, be apart of that moment and link arms with her was quite beautiful.”

_ Sorry, Chris Blake, Amy Brookheimer won this round fair and square. _

The New York Times

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment!
> 
> It's both heavily appreciated and greatly encouraged!


	17. Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the hearing, she chooses to stay single.
> 
> Waking up in the morning without someone laying next to her to make her laugh, running her hands along the empty side of the bed imagining someone is there and helping take off a load of everything in her life.
> 
> She never realized how much she missed being in an actual relationship with somebody.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
> 
> The final chapter of IINSYFA!
> 
> It's fitting that I post this final chapter on New Year's Eve to thank every single ONE of you beautiful people for sticking with me during this story and being the fuel to my creative fire! Because of you all, I am a better writer and person and I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart.
> 
> This chapter is mighty long (so be prepared) and once you're finished, make sure to leave a comment letting me know what you thought about this final chapter! 
> 
> From the bottom of my heart, thank you all sooooo much for a truly amazing year!
> 
> I wish you all a happy, safe and successful 2020!
> 
> Without further ado, here's the final chapter of 'If I Never See Your Face Again'!

_Don't let the sun go down on me_

  
_Although I search myself, it's always someone else I see_

  
_I'd just allow a fragment of your life to wander free, yeah_

  
_But losin' everything is like the sun goin' down on me_

 

-Elton John and George Michael, 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me'

* * *

“You leaked the tape?” Amy whips her head towards Meagan the minute they all step into a spare room and the guard closes the door behind them.

“No!” Meagan insists strongly.

“Then why’d you say that?” Amy throws her hands in the air, “Meagan! You lied under oath in front of the judge.” she whispers so only the room can hear. 

The teenage girl opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. 

The room’s eyes all fall on Meagan as everyone goes into fight mode and are instantly on their devices trying to find loopholes around the situation.

“It’s too late to turn it around, the press knows about it,” Michelle informs the room, reading her phone.

“Fuck!” Amy stomps her foot into the ground, slapping her hands against her face, “Meagan!”

“Meagan.” Kyle steps in, his voice calm and collected, “Did someone offer you money to do this?” 

Meagan shakes her head, tears brimming in her eyes. 

“No.” she insists again.

“Then why’d you do it?” Amy’s voice is strained from behind her hands, “How could you betray me like this?” 

Meagan’s eyes crawl up to meet his, avoiding everyone’s confused gazes but his own.

“I panicked.” she blinks to herself, unsure of what to do with herself. 

“You fucking panicked?” Amy’s voice goes up an octave, “Versus talking to me about this, you decided that the best way to set your anxieties at ease was to release those tapes of me getting my ass kicked?” 

“For fuck’s sake, I didn’t leak it!” 

“Then why would you lie under oath and say that you did.” Amy falls into a loud whisper, “You could be found guilty of fucking perjury.”

“Meagan.” he speaks up for the first time, “Are you telling the truth?” 

“I figured that if I said I leaked it then they would take it as the incentive that I was scared of Chris or whatever. I did it to help you.” 

And the room goes into panic at that.

Amy throws herself onto the couch with her head in her hands, Michelle grits her teeth, Kyle slaps a hand against his forehead and he groans loudly.

“Meaga-”

“I did it to help you!” Meagan defends herself, “When I was walking past their table, I heard him and Aunt Parker discussing strategies and what they were planning on using would’ve screwed this whole thing up.”

So not only did Meagan know a potential strategy that could have helped Amy win by a landslide but, she kept it to herself and fucking improved under oath?

“We were winning.” Amy’s fist clench, “What fucking strategy did they have up their sleeve that would’ve thrown us off?” 

Meagan takes a deep breath and tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.

“It was about Dad.” she keeps her eyes on the ground, her breathing shaking. 

Fuck. 

The whole room turns to look up at Dan who automatically throws his hands in the air, his eyes meeting with Amy for the first time since everything happened.

“Dan.” Amy stands from the couch, “What did you do?” 

He turns to Meagan, trying to read her voice and figure out what it is she could know about. 

It’s not like he’s done anything bad by any means. 

He hasn’t leaked any stories, kept his distance from Chris and most importantly kept his distance from Candi and Mallory, both of whom fucking orchestrated all of this mess in the first place.

Fuck.

Candi and Mallory.

  
Suddenly the moment of Chris saying, “Because according to Candi Carusso and Mallory Sierra, you were pretty much the brains of the entire operation." is replaying in his mind and he has an idea of what that secret plan might’ve been.

“Meagan-” he tries but it’s no use. 

“They were going to reveal that Dad knew about everything.” she keeps her head down. “They had screenshots and transcripts of Dad talking to Candi about you and Chris and trying to find out information on him.”

The room is quiet. 

But it’s not for long. 

Before he knows it, Amy releases an ugly sob and practically jumps to her feet and lands an ugly, harsh slap right across his face. 

“You motherfucker!” she roars at him.

When he blinks back from the slap, her face is red hot and her chest is rising at a rapid pace.

The tears brimming in her eyes, the crimson red blush taking over her entire face and she slaps her hands over her mouth. 

“You..you did this!” she cries out. “My entire life has been fucked up because of you. Why would you do this to me?” 

And he doesn’t know what to say. 

He knows that whatever he does say, Amy will quite literally try to murder him with her bare hands and from all of the pain she’s gone through this past year, there’s no doubt in his mind she won’t be able to do it. 

“It’s not-”

She pushes him back before he can speak anymore and his body slams into a wall, his shoulder hitting a bookcase. 

“Do you realize how fucked up my life is now because of you?” she approaches him head-on, “I’m in court fighting against a man I love because you won’t let me go!”

“I can explain.” he tries. 

“Fuck your explanation, Dan.” 

Her hand raises to slap him again but Kyle catches her wrist before she can make contact. 

“Let me go!” Amy fights against Kyle’s grip as he pulls her away, “Let me go!” 

“Amy, no.” Kyle orders her, keeping her close to his body, “I’m not going to let you do this.”

“Way to go, Dan.” Michelle rolls her eyes as she retrieves a crying Meagan and directs her to a couch. 

“I didn’t do anything!” he protests, “Meagan. You know I would never do this to you.” 

“Cayla Carusso saw you leaving her house after having sex with her Mom.” Meagan’s voice quivers as she avoids his eyes, “I’m sorry, Dad.” 

“Well, I’m fucking not.” Amy pushes herself away from Kyle’s grip, “Get out.” 

“Amy.” his voice is calm and collected, “Let’s talk, okay? I don’t need you beliving all of this bullshit when we-”

“Get out!” she roars at him, pushing him back yet again, this time sending him stumbling over his feet, his body threatening to hit the ground, “I don’t ever want to see your fucking face ever again,” she growls at him.

Before he knows, the security guard enters the room and grabs ahold of him harshly, causing his shoulders to tense up.

“Ames-”

And he’s thrown out of the room before he knows it, leaving him all alone in the hallway of the courthouse. 

Part of him is tempted to slam his fists against the door until it opens because he can’t let this be the end of them

He can’t let this be the end of them.

Both Amy and Meagan are going through hell just being here and the fact that it’s all bubbling down to it (partly) being his fault drives him fucking mad. 

Deciding that enough is enough, he gives up and leaves. 

He gets a ride back to his condo from one of the drivers that dropped him off and he feels as useless as a rock.

There’s nothing for him to do but wait for the results and it’s fucking hell. 

He tries to busy himself by straightening up around the place (even though the cleaner stopped by a few days ago), trying to watch something to keep his mind off of what’s going on and he finds that pretty much everything is unsuccessful.

He strips himself of his suit and throws himself in the shower with a much-needed Vodka. 

Even though he’s surprisingly limited himself to only a few drinks a month, he finds himself already four glasses in and not looking back.

It’s easily the worse he’s felt in a long time. 

Seeing the look of hurt in Amy’s eyes was something he’d ever think he’d see.

Sure, he knew that she must’ve felt a type of way about the things he’s done to her in the past but, to see the pain and agony in her eyes were just painful in itself.

And to see the same look in Meagan’s eyes breaks his heart in ways he didn’t even realize.

Maybe he fucked up this time around. 

* * *

_ BREAKING: Amy Brookheimer rewarded sole physical custody of children, Meagan and Greyson. [Live Update] _

ABC News

_ BREAKING: Chris Blake sentenced to THREE YEARS in federal prison on charges of domestic violence and revenge porn.  _

CBS News

_ Despite losing custody of both children, Blake has been granted the right to both supervised and virtual visits by Judge. _

Rumors on the Hill

_ "Amy is extremely satisfied with the court ruling in her favor. Not only do we see this as a win for her but we also see it as a win for all victims of both physical and verbal domestic abuse. Amy hopes that victims of situations similar to hers see this as inspiration." Kyle Wescott gives official statement on the steps of Moultrie Courthouse after Brookheimer''s historic custody win.  _

The Daily Beast

_Chris Blake pushes photographers in apparent fury as he exits Moultrie Courthouse after losing custody case to his ex, Amy Brookheimer._

Alternet

_ Michael Kors releases a limited edition t-shirt and hoodies of Amy Brookheimer's now-iconic courthouse outfit and announces all proceeds will be donated to Agape International Missions Charity-a charity that fights for the end of human trafficking. _

The Atlantic

_ REPORT: Chris Blake is set to turn himself into prison in two months at Otisville Federal Prison in Otisville, NY. _

Associated Press

_ Amy Brookheimer debuts honey blonde hair on Instagram-Click here to copy her look! _

Cosmopolitan UK

_ Amy Brookheimer speaks at UNICEF panel on children's health and U.S advocacy _

Getty Images

_ "I was an idiot. Please come back to me!" Chris Blake breaks down on Instagram Live begging for fans to help him get back with Amy Brookheimer. _

Gawker

_ 24 Hours with Amy Brookheimer / Vogue _

_Vogue tags along with businesswoman, philanthropist and mother, Amy Brookheimer, as she goes through a press day in NYC and is accompanied by her trust-worthy stylists, Lydia and Toni, and America's sweethearts, Meagan and Greyson._

Vogue

_ Letting the girl's out! Amy Brookheimer wears a bustier dress that shows off cleavage as she leaves Las Vegas restaurant with BFF, Michelle York. _

Daily Mail

_ Meagan Brookheimer is Girl's Life Magazine's Spring Cover Girl! Click here to check out the cover here! _

Girl's Life Magazine

_ "Chris is extremely heartbroken over everything that's happened in the past few months. He wishes that after he serves his time in prison, Amy will open her heart back up to giving him another chance." an insider tells us on how Chris Blake is after he officially turned himself into federal prison this morning.  _

Yahoo! News

_ Amy Brookheimer has signed a three-book deal with Penguin Random House for $8.4 million. _

Time Magazine

_ “We are ecstatic to work with Ms. Brookheimer. Her story has already touched millions of people around the world and we know that as she continues to share her story, she’ll inspire millions more.” Penguin Random House CEO, Virgil Kahn speaks out on Amy Brookheimer’s recent book deal. _

ABC News

_ Amy Brookheimer all smiles as she strolls in Soho with her son, Greyson, as they leave their hotel. _

Getty Images

_ According to Penguin Random House, Brookheimer’s upcoming memoir will feature stories from her life as one of the country’s best Chief of Staffs under former Presidents Selina Meyer and Jonah Ryan, her highly publicized relationship with Chris Blake and her abusive relationship with Blake. _

Vox

_ Former Seattle Seahawks Quarterback, Vincent Copeland, sends Amy Brookheimer luxurious white rose arrangement after admitting his crush on her on 'Late Night with Mac Murphy'. _

E! Online

_ "Even if I was dating somebody, which again I'm not, it's not my responsibility to alert the general public of it. If I'm dating somebody it's because I want to, not because I want the whole f******g world to know about it." Amy Brookheimer dispels Vincent Copeland rumors during an interview with Howard Stern. _

Vulture

_ Amy Brookheimer and Vincent Copeland fuel dating rumors after the pair are seen leaving a party at Michelle York's house together. _

Mashable

_ Hey Everyone, Let's Stop Asking Amy Brookheimer about her dating life-it's getting old.  _

Salon

_ Amy Brookheimer is having a moment and we’re kinda lovin’ it. _

The New York Times

 

> When I ask Brookheimer if she had ever envisioned her future consisting of what it has catapulted now in the past few months, she laughs harmoniously.
> 
> “Certainly not.” she shakes her head, “Part of the reason why I had always gravitated towards my role as a Chief of Staff is that the job is more backstage than on stage and with that, it allowed me to work hard without the typical distractions of being in the spotlight 24/7. Sure, it had its ups and downs but every job has them, it’s just a matter of how you deal with those circumstances.”
> 
> So does that mean she’s not a fan of the plethora of women and young adults who look up to her in idolization?
> 
> “A few years ago, I would’ve definitely found it weird. But now that I’m older and I have children, I, in a way, understand it a bit more now. I know I’m not the first woman in the world who had to deal with a sexist boss who happened to be a woman, I’m not the first (woman) who was in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship and I’m certainly not the first to do a majority of this with kids. But, if there’s a person out there who sees themselves in me...then I’m all for it.” she gives a satisfied nod.
> 
> Speaking of kids, I can’t help but ask the following question.
> 
> Is she considering having more children?
> 
> She hunches over in laughter at that, her head-shaking giving me all the answers I need.
> 
> “No, no. God no.” she wipes the tears from her eyes, combing a hand through her infamous blonde locks, “I have my hands full with my kids” 
> 
> Well, it was worth a try.

* * *

Both Meagan and Amy ignore him. 

Not only do they ignore him but they ignore him very loudly.

And it's eating him alive. 

Amy's blocked him on all social media accounts, his number and has given her team intense instructions to not have him anywhere near her or Meagan.

It's no help that Meagan's bedroom is right up the stairs remains perfectly untouched and is now collecting dust on the wooden furniture lining the walls.

He's had so many nights of just trying to get her to answer the phone even for a second and each attempt falls unsuccessful and he feels about as needed as a fucking plastic bottle rolling down the street.

Being ignored by Amy was one thing.

But being ignored by his daughter was just a cruel and unusual punishment that he never knew he would have to deal with.

He does all that he can to try and convince himself that he's not upset about it but, it doesn't help because it's so fucking noticeable of how lonely he is.

He catches up on fucking all women he can, he works out whenever he's not doing that and he drinks himself into a moderate, decent sized hangover weekly. 

It doesn't help that he has to step back and watch the world practically fawn over Amy like she's just the greatest person of all time.

She's doing all kinds of photoshoots, interviews and magazine cover that it's practically impossible to not see her. It's like he can't turn on his fucking television or phone without seeing or hearing someone talk about her and just fucking attractive she is.

It angers him just how much everyone else is attracted to her.

He doesn’t blame them-she has been looking delectable lately and it’s only human nature that he finds her attractive. 

But, he feels like everyone else doesn’t deserve it.

They don’t deserve to lust over her because they don’t deserve it.

Hell, he’s not sure if even he deserves it.

Every so often, when he checks her Instagram (from a secret account she doesn’t have him blocked on), he sees a plethora of photos and videos that ooze sex appeal in a way that makes him upset.

Who gave her the right to look so ridiculously sexy?

(Don’t get him wrong, she’s many things but with the way she’s turned to those lacy bodysuits with designer slacks, sexy is the main thing coming to mind right now)

It doesn’t help that she’s technically a free piece of real estate thanks to Chris being far away in prison and the two of them are no longer together. (And no, that Vincent dude doesn't count. Just because he has a crush doesn't mean shit.)

It means that every rich, successful asshole (politician or not) who is famous tries to shoot their shot at Amy more than he likes.

It annoys him because these assholes just assume that Amy is like every other blonde floozy in the world and needs something shiny to wave in her face when she couldn't be any more different. 

He's not stalking her by any means.

Every so often, he'll watch one of her many public appearances to get a good look at her lately and he's sad to say that she seems just as happy without him as she advertises and it's the most annoying thing ever because it's her giving him the biggest 'Fuck You' in the entire world.

Her skin is glowing, her hair is all bouncy blonde waves and her body is looking better than ever.

(Seriously, he can't remember her having this many curves before getting knocked up by Chris.)

On one occasional day in the summer, he wakes up to what seems like the most horrifying news he's heard in ages.

Meagan's checking into rehab.

And she's going to some facility located in Pennsylvania and he's livid.

Not only is he freaking out over his daughter being even further away from him but he has the weird, deep feeling in his gut that she needs him right now but there's no way in hell Amy will ever let her react to him.

But that doesn't mean he won't fucking try. 

So, he kicks the doe-eyed, dark-haired MILF out of his bed, speeds through his morning routine and makes his way to Amy's house for the first time in months.

He makes the effort of shaving the dark beard that's starting to grow so he can at least look presentable and recognizable to Amy and doesn't confuse him for some homeless asshole who stumbled on her doorstep.

(Not that he looks like a homeless person, he just does it to cover his bases.)

By the time he arrives at her house, his palms are sweaty and his chest is as tight as the noose he'd like to tie around his neck. 

Part of him realizes that this entire exchange could last all but seven seconds and result in the heavy wooden door slamming in his face and knocking the living daylights out of him but, he figures that would be better than stewing in his apartment alone trying to figure out where to go with his life next.

The minute the door opens and Natalie sees him, the door slams shut and there's a chorus of loud, demanding voices bustling from behind the door which further encourages him to knock on the door as loudly and obnoxiously as he possibly can.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" the door swings open revealing Amy who puts a hand on her hip.

He takes a deep breath and cranes his neck to look behind Amy.

"I need to talk to her."

"No." she goes to shut the door but he keeps a firm hand on it, not letting go.

"Dan!"

"I've gone almost three months without talking to her."

 _"Exactly."_ Amy grits her teeth at him, "You haven't spoken to her in three fucking months. Now leave."

"For fuck's sake, let me at least say goodbye to her." he protests strongly, the desperation running through his veins, "I need to see her."

 _"No."_ she practically growls at him, "She's asleep anyway. Now get out of here." 

"Why won't you let me just see h-"

 _"Dad?"_ he hears Meagan approach Amy from behind. 

Amy pulls apart and they both fall in silence.

"Meags." he releases a breath he didn't know he had held in, " _...Hey."_ he all but fails at his attempt to be cool.

Meagan nervously plays with her hand and steps in between both of her parents, her eyes darting in between the two.

"What are you doing here?" 

Amy looks up at him with an expectant look and folds her arms over her chest defiantly, her usually wavy hair pulled into a low ponytail.

"I wanted to say goodbye before you left for..your program."

"Rehab. She's going to rehab, not a fucking science summer camp." Amy chimes in. 

 _"Mom."_ Meagan tries to reason with Amy with a small voice, "It's okay..he just wanted to say hi." 

"Well, he got his wish." Amy claps her hands and grips the doorknob once again, "And this is us saying goodbye." 

"Amy-"

"Mom, can Dad and I have a moment alone?" 

"Meagan-"

"It'll only be a few minutes, I promise." Meagan offers, her eyebrows furrowing low on her head, "I promise I'll be back in a few." 

Amy narrows her eyes at Dan intensely, her eyes burning a hole into his head. 

"Ten minutes." she warns Meagan (but really talking to Dan), "After that come back in and he leaves." 

 _"Amy."_ he tries.

"That's all the time we need." Meagan steps out of the house and gives a small nod, "We won't take long." 

They take the time to walk around the quiet environment of the neighborhood and he takes it as his chance to explain himself. It necessarily doesn't matter if Meagan accepts his attempt of an apology but, he figures it's best to try and explain something versus saying nothing at all. If he knows his daughter, he knows that there's a fifty percent chance that she's listening and she's using the other fifty percent to silently curse him out in her head (which he prefers over a verbal lashing).

After he's spent a good five minutes explaining what he's willing to, Meagan stops walking and leans against the pole of a crosswalk sign in silence, with her eyes down on the ground.

"Mom cried after the whole court thing." Meagan looks into his eyes, "She was...inconsolable for a good three weeks after she found out what you did."

Well, those social media pictures and interviews prove otherwise.

"She seemed so happy." he's slightly taken aback by this information.

"Antidepressants, Dad. Aunt Michelle had to practically lodge the Xanax down her throat all while watching both Greyson and me." Meagan states like it's obvious.

And that's when he realizes that he should never use social or public media as a way to read people, it's just a fucking filter for people who go through shit and let the whole world think that they're not going through shit. 

"Well...." he looks for ways to change the subject, "What about you? I mean, do you want to go to rehab?"

"No one wants to go to rehab, Dad." Meagan rolls her eyes and Dan swears that it's the most familiar he's seen his daughter in a long time and it kinda (sorta) fills his heart with some weird, warm glow. 

"Well, whether you want to go or not. I'm here for you." he offers, "Seriously...anything you ever need,  _ever..._ I'm here." 

Meagan blinks up at him in silence, brushing the loose strands of her messy updo out of her face.

"I know, Dad." 

"Meags." Dan pushes against her trying to pull away, "I'm here for you. I'm only a phone call away and I need you to know that."

Meagan takes a deep breath and nervously plays with her fingers. 

"If I tell you something can you not tell Mom?" 

And here's his in.

"What is it?" his eyebrows furrow low on his head. 

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, Meagan breaks down into tears. 

"I'm really scared, Dad."

And that's the cue he needs to pull her in for a hug and not let go.

He lets her cry in his arms as he rocks her back and forth, rubbing her back like he just  _knows_ that everything will be alright even though he has no fucking clue how everything will play out.

There's a good chance that Meagan will get back to Amy and eventually forget all of this but, it makes him at least content to know that he offered her the support and reassurance that she would need at any time of the day to know that he was there for her, through thick and thin.

With Amy completely ignoring him, he may never get married but, this is one commitment he doesn't mind making and keeping for the rest of his life.

But sure enough, he holds on to his promise.

In the next few years, he's by her side through thick and thin (just as he promised) and even Amy can't deny it. Sure, they don't ever really talk about it or really anything that's happened between them but, he's there for any moment that he can be present for.

Even though his real estate company-Egan Enterprise is doing quite well, he still makes time for her out of his busy schedule.

They road-trip back home from Pennsylvania after she's done with rehab.

He's there to throw her the best damn Sweet Sixteen DC's ever seen, he buys her first car (much to Amy's disappointment).

He's there to both send her off to prom (and interrogate her date),

He's there for _her_ graduation.

He's there for her college move-in day and most importantly, there for her the day she calls him in tears, demanding for him to help her as she's midway through her second year in Undergrad.

He gets a phone call from Meagan during the afternoon on a random day in November.

It's weird because well, Meagan is pretty good on only calling him for their weekly check-in session and for whenever she needs something. Right off the bat, her calling for any other reason raises a few eyebrows. It's not like Amy wasn't available to answer her phone calls though, even though she was probably busy sleeping with this new boyfriend she has, he's certain that she would've picked up the phone for Meagan.

Merged with the fact that he calls at around noon when she's supposed to be in some Music Theory class and she's not (hence the call).

In short, he kicks the red-haired divorcee out of his bed and makes his way to New York and thanks to traffic being unusually calm and steady, he gets there in record time before five o'clock and meets her at the Brooklyn Roasting Company Cafe and finds her sitting at a booth in the back of the cafe with her head hanging down in shame and tears in her eyes.

Her hands are practically shaking, her eyes are avoiding his at all costs and from the erratic pattern of her breathing, he's certain she's due to having a panic attack within the next few minutes. 

He tries to break the ice by getting their usuals to at least calm down because much like dealing with Amy, they can go back and forth for hours because she's too damn tense to talk about what's eating her alive.

Then she takes a deep breath and tells him.

"I'm pregnant." 

Before he can help it, the coffee practically shoots out of his mouth and drops on his coat and he can barely contain his cough.

"You're _fucki-._. _you're pregnant?"_

Meagan runs a hand through her walnut brunette hair and lets the tears stream down her face.

"I wouldn't be telling you this unless I was sure but I am. I went to the Doctor to get tested and I'm seven weeks pregnant and....I'm scared, Dad." 

Oddly enough, all of this happening is eerily like Amy telling him that she's pregnant outside of the Madison Monroe dinner. If he thinks hard enough, he remembers how quietly  _scared_ she was of saying it.

The stormy look on her face, completely ignoring his eyes altogether, speaking in cliffhangers.

Knowing what he knows now, he would've reacted differently to the news. Instead of just straight up slamming the door on Amy and the possible relationship that could've stemmed from it, he would've taken her by the hand, held her close and just stayed by her side and never let go.

But he didn't and because of that one not thought out move, he's looking down the barrel at possibly becoming a Grandpa, being single and not having Amy in his life.

"I didn't even know you were dating!" he whispers hisses, "Where is this boyfriend of yours?"

"He's kinda occupied right now." Meagan admits knowing that Dan is about to shoot down this 'boyfriend' of hers in a matter of seconds, "But I already told him."

"Well, where the fuck is he?" Dan's half-past livid now. 

Who is this asshole that got his daughter pregnant and ran to the fucking hills like a fucking dick?

Meagan takes a deep breath and sighs.

"He's on tour." 

 _"Tour?"_ Dan tenses up suddenly, "Are you telling me a fucking musician knocked you up?" 

"Dad!" she groans, "I don't need this right now, okay? I only called you because...I need help and I don't want to tell Mom."

Fuck, Amy.

There's no doubt in his mind that when Amy catches wind of this, she'll have a fucking breakdown and blow her goddamn lid.

He blows out his cheeks as he pinches his nostrils, thinking of how to phrase the million dollar question he needs to ask in a way that won't set her off in a nuclear level meltdown in the New York cafe they're currently seated in.

"Have you thought of what you want to do?" he tries.

Meagan swallows thickly at that, using the opportunity to play with the sleeve of her leather jacket.

"I'm getting an abortion." she sighs, "...and I need help coming home from it."

Part of him wants to scold her for being irresponsible and not sexually responsible whatsoever but, an even bigger part of him is relieved that the kid listened to him all those years ago and called him the minute she needed help with something.

He must look more worried than he expects to at the mention of the word 'abortion' because she holds up a hand and gives him a knowing look.

"Before you say anything, Maverick and I made this decision together and he didn't pressure me into doing anything I didn't want to."

A musician whose name is Maverick? Yeah, he's certain that he never wants to meet this dude.

Keeping to his promise, they schedule the appointment in DC and directly after, Meagan comes to stay with him for a few days after and they both agree to not tell Amy. 

He's not a 'perfect' parent but, he tries. 

And that's all that matters, honestly.

* * *

After the hearing, she chooses to stay single.

Waking up in the morning without someone laying next to her to make her laugh, running her hands along the empty side of the bed imagining someone is there and helping take off a load of everything in her life.

She never realized how much she missed being in an actual relationship with somebody. 

The first year is pretty lonely. 

The second-year is lonelier.  
   
And by the time she gets to year four of no relationship, she feels like a fucking failure and it’s embarrassing as all hell. It’s not like she wasn’t getting offers. It wasn’t rare for men (and now sometimes women) of all ages to send her a stomach-churning overly sexual message on Instagram or in public. If she was desperate, she would’ve answered to one of those messages by now and gave in to whatever it is they were desiring. 

She doesn't count her 'relationship' with Vincent as an actual relationship, though. It was less of a relationship and more of 'two grown adults drunkenly hooking up more than three times' kind of thing.  
   
But, since she had children and respect for herself, she never responded and always kept to herself.  
   
Besides, she’s got her old vibrator and her two fingers-it’s not ideal but it’s something.  
   
One month-when Meagan’s in her first year of college at Julliard and Greyson is four, she has to do a series of press events and panels for her company and book.  
   
Part of her wants to take Greyson to ensure that he’s looked after for the time being since she’ll be so busy and she’ll have Natalie around to watch him while she works. So, she decides to leave Greyson back with Natalie and plans an impromptu dinner for Michelle’s birthday.

She’s looking forward to talking about Abuse Statistics and Philanthropy to over a thousand strangers by day and getting hammered at night.

The trip is going well so far; she’s sat down for a few interviews, filmed a few segments and is getting great press for the business. 

As she and Michelle step onto the elevator of the building and prepare to make their way to the garage where their Driver is located, the elevator doors pop open, breaking them from their conversation.

 _“Kyle!_ ” Michelle’s voice burbles in surprise, Amy’s heart beginning to race the minute their eyes meet.

Then it’s silent.

“What are you doing here?” Michelle finally catches on, awkwardly looking at both her and Kyle, waiting to see who greets the other first.

“I run an internship for my business. I came by to speak to my friend’s class,” he informs them, “Hi, Amy.” 

 _“Hi.”_ she tries to give a contained smile but know’s she’s falling profusely.

There’s a moment when he and Michelle divulge into their conversation and it leaves Amy and the security guard just awkwardly standing there as the two converse. 

“Are you heading down or up?” she finally blinks back into reality and makes it back in time to hear Michelle’s question.

“Up.” Kyle points a finger in the air, “I thought this was the elevator set for upstairs but I guess not.”

Fuck, he looks good.

Like _really_ fucking good. 

And it doesn’t help that she hasn’t had sex with another human being in a while so, if she looks him in the eyes for longer than five minutes, she might come in her pants.

“Well, I’ll see you later-”

“I left something in the room.” 

Michelle turns towards her in confusion, her eyebrows raising for an answer to which Amy responds with a stern _‘go-along-with-it’_ look.

“Oh yeah...in the room on the...floor we're still on.”

“I can get it for you.” Kyle offers like it’s no big deal, “I’m in no rush anyway.”

“It’s fine.” Amy steps off the elevator and offering a warm smile to Kyle, “Just wait for me in the car, okay?”

Michelle smiles at the two and presses the door, leaving them alone for the first time in years.

And she’s nervous as fuck.

She’s nervous because she knows how much she likes him and how easily she can let herself go around somebody and for the life of her, she can’t afford to do it anymore.

They dive into a conversation about their kids, their jobs and how life is going for them and...she doesn’t hate it.

She doesn’t hate it for one bit.

“You like Seattle so far?” he asks her as they stroll around the main lobby of the upstairs building.

“Yeah.” she musters out a nod, “It’s...relaxing here. I just haven’t been able to sit down and do any of the touristy stuff but besides that, it’s nice out here.”

“That’s good.” he nods at that, “The relaxing part I mean….you should be able to sit down and do... _touristy_ things...if you want I mean.”

She blushes at that, admiring his clear-cut dorkiness.

So, she takes it as her chance.

“Speaking of sit down….I’m hosting like a private dinner thing for Michelle’s birthday and I know that she would love to see you there.”

“Really? That’s nice.” Kyle stops in his tracks to look down at her, “I’d love to come...only if that’s fine with you.”

“Of course!” it slips out a tad bit too enthusiastic for her liking, _“_ I mean…. _she_ would love to see you. She misses you..a lot and you’re one of her best friends.”

Kyle smiles at her warmly and for a faint second, she feels her heartbeat in her ears.

So, they exchange numbers on the spot and Amy promises to text him the information the minute she’s able and far away from Michelle's eyes.

A few days later, at the party, Amy’s playing the role of Michelle’s designated friend for the night since she’s getting so impossibly wasted that she’s practically wobbling in her heels as they escort her towards her seat at the table.

She’s already having a nice time.

Eating and drinking some of the finest dishes and cocktails served in Seattle after a few days of hard work was always nice and now there was the bonus of having a few friends to share the company with.

Then Kyle shows up wearing the sexiest trench coat and dark jeans combo she’s ever seen that she feels her heart practically racing and abandoned lady part's come back to life.

When they share a quick hug, she gets the subtle flashbacks of his strong hands grazing her body ever-so-slightly as their bodies moved with one another and she hates how much she misses it.

The rest of the dinner is great though everyone's laughing at stories of Michelle, the drinks are being poured to oblivion and it’s easily one of the best nights she’s had in a long while.

At the end of the night, Amy and Kyle are escorting a now frat-boy wasted Michelle back to their car service and Amy finally climbs into the back-seat behind her.

Kyle and Amy bid their goodbyes to one another and as she gets settled, Michelle stops her.

“What are you doing?” Michelle looks at her like she's crazy in between words.

“I have to get you to the hotel.” Amy laughs, not believing how hammered her friend is.

“Get out of this car right now and go to Kyle.”

“What?”

Michelle giggles and takes a hold of both of Amy’s hands with a firm grip.

“I saw you two eye-fucking the whole night and that can only mean that you two want to real-fuck and as your best friend I am determined to make that happen!” Michelle drunkenly encourages her.

“You’re drunk..” Amy can’t hold back her laughter, “Let’s get you to the hotel.”

“We need to get you to his place.” Michelle encourages, “So you can get fucked!”

“Oh my god.” Amy breaks out into laughter, “Michelle. I’m not leaving you.”

“Amy. For my birthday, _please.._.for the love of God, go get fucked. Like a good _can’t walk the next day, I forgot my name, I died and my spirit watched my body get railed type fucking”_

As drunk as she is...maybe she has a point.

It doesn’t have to be anything serious, it could be a quick roll in the hay for all she cares. She just needs something fast and easy to relieve her of this hunger she’s been feeling for the past few years and she knows that he can do it.

Besides, it’s her last night in Seattle.

No better time to have a one-night stand with someone you’re secretly in love with than now.

Much against her original plans, she slides out of the backseat with her purse and jacket and making her way towards Kyle as he walks back towards his car.

“Amy?” his eyes sparkle at her under the bright moon of the dark Seattle night.

She’s breathing heavily, her chest rising up and down.

“That tour of Seattle you mentioned earlier.” Amy approaches him slowly, “I’d like to _...learn_ more about it.”

She watches as his jaw unhinges and it practically makes her heart race.

She doesn’t know if it’s the shots she took or the way he’s looking at her that has her legs trembling but, either way, she’s ready to throw him against the wall and fuck the shit out of her.

He reaches his hand out and pulls her with him as they make their way to the car as quickly as possible.

And the minute they get to his condo, he fucks her so hard and perfectly that she comes everywhere like an inexperienced virgin.

The next morning, when she wakes up to plan her escape and leave before she has a foot out of the bed, he notices and pulls her back to go down on her and...holy shit it’s _everything._

It’s like they haven’t had any time in between. 

They know what to do and how to do it together and for fuck's sake, she doesn’t know how it feels this good.

She does have to get up though-she has three more states to visit for this tour and there’s no way she’ll get there if she doesn’t get out of bed.

“Come with me.” Amy takes a leap of faith as they pull apart from the kiss they share in front of his front door, “It’s a private plane and we’re going to Oregon next.”

Kyle beams down at her for a second and his smile slowly fades.

“I would….I totally would. But...I just can’t...I can’t.”

And her heart breaks at that.

Fucking shatters.

But at this point, she’s used to it and just gives a quick nod and gets the fuck out of there.

The entire ride to the airport, she’s holding back tears...wondering just how stupid she fucking is.

Who invites their one night stand to travel with them?

The minute she gets on the plane, Lydia and Toni are staring at her in confusion, offering her alcohol to get her out of this rut of sadness but, alcohol is the last thing she wants.

And low and behold, Kyle is standing right there, on the tarmac as Amy exits the plane to get some fresh air before they take off.

“What are you doing here?” She stays on the top of the small staircase leading up to the plane.

Kyle takes a deep breath and drops his backpack on the ground.

“I love you.” He admits, his chest rising up and down, “For the last four years, I’ve tried to replace this fucking hole in my heart that I’ve had since I’ve seen you and.. _nobody_ can fill it. I was a dick back then, I should’ve told you about Cynthia and Phoebe and all of that but I didn’t because I figured that had you know about any of that...you wouldn't have given me the time of day and I couldn’t stand the thought of it.”

“So what are you trying to say?” She eyes him up and down, trying to stay strong.

“I’m saying that I went four years without you and please don't let me go anymore without you."

And she wastes no time in surging herself against his lips with all of the desire she’s felt for him in the past four years.

And for the next three years, they don’t live their lives apart from one another anymore.

After a few months of traveling back and forth to see one another, spending free weekends with each other and going on a few top-secret vacations with one another, they officially start dating.

* * *

_Amy Brookheimer is allegedly seeing her former custody case lawyer, Kyle Wescott._

Popsugar

_ PHOTOS: Amy Brookheimer is seen strolling hand and hand with alleged boyfriend, Kyle Wescott, in Georgetown. _

People Magazine

_ Amy Brookheimer's Simple Yet Effective Morning Beauty Routine l Vogue Beauty Secrets _

Vogue

_ "Maybe I'm seeing someone, maybe I'm not..." Amy Brookheimer plays coy when asked about Kyle Wescott during a recent interview with Mac Murphy. _

Entertainment Weekly

_ Meet Maverick Carter, the new face of hip-hop and r&b music.  _

The Source

_ Maverick Carter claims girlfriend, Meagan Brookheimer, as one of the 'greatest' women he's ever met and cites she's the strongest woman he's ever met. _

Rumors on the Hill

_ Amy Brookheimer blushes while being asked about Kyle Wescott during a recent morning interview. _

InTouch Weekly

_ Chris Blake is reportedly 'livid' that Amy Brookheimer is seeing Kyle Wescott. In a now-deleted tweet from the former Playboy, Blake tweeted 'Don't get in trouble comforting my girlfriend while we work out our issues." _

The Hot List

_ Amy Brookheimer posts a video of Kyle Wescott signing 'Only You Can Make Me Happy' to her in the car for his birthday with a sweet message. Click here to read what she wrote! _

The Cut

_ Amy Brookheimer stuns in a black Yves Saint Laurent Silver Bustier Ball Gown at the American Lawyer Industry Awards as she supports boyfriend, Kyle Wescott. _

The Washington Times

_ Here's Kyle Wescott being the best boyfriend ever by holding Amy Brookheimer's bags during a recent shopping trip in NYC. _

Gawker

_ "She's the greatest woman I've ever met and I'm a very, very lucky man." Kyle Wescott finally confirms a relationship with Amy Brookheimer during a recent interview with The American Lawyer. _

The American Lawyer

_ Chris Blake and Amy Brookheimer reunite at son Greyson's Fifth Birthday Party. Click here to see the picture! _

ClevverTV

_ Race-Car Track, Portrait Artist, Three Tier Birthday Cake! Inside of Greyson Brookheimer's Fifth Birthday Party. _

E! Online

_ Unpopular Opinion: Can Amy Brookheimer and Chris Blake get back together already?? We're Waiting _

The New York Times: Opinions

_ "I'd rather die." Amy Brookheimer's simple yet savage Twitter response to New York Times Article that suggests she get back together with Chris Blake. _

Yahoo News

* * *

She simply can’t get over the fact that Kyle is weirdly enough a good guy. 

He’s the guy who’ll help an old-woman carry her grocery bag to her car because she’s too frail to do it.

The type of guy to pay for the coffees of people behind him whenever he’s in the giving mood.

And he’s the type of guy to drop his last five in a homeless man’s cup when he’s walking down the street.

She didn’t know how long she was surrounded by assholes until she finally wasn’t dating one.

About a few months into their relationship, their kids meet for the first time and they all get along so perfectly and smoothly.

Don’t get her wrong-there are the times when he’s so hellbent on being right that he’ll argue Amy into the ground trying to prove him being correct but, she can handle that.

(And yes, the ridiculously mindblowing and earth-shattering sex they have is a bonus.)

So much of a bonus that when Kyle has to venture on a business trip, she's quite sad about him not being there because well, she isn't used to having this much sex so often.

“Fuck that feels good.” She moans as Kyle ruts his tongue into her relentlessly, picking up one of her legs to angle her body out.

“Mommy!” Greyson’s voice interrupts them, forcing them to break apart. 

They both freeze in silence.

“Do you need to-“ Kyle tries to roll off but she stops him in his tracks.

 _“Mommy!”_ Greyson demands again.

Amy sighs and presses a finger against Kyle’s lips, keeping his body on top of her.

“What do you need, Greyson?”

He tries rattling the door but luckily she’s not an amateur and she locked it before they got started.

“I want you to sleep with me!”

She sighs and throws her head back against the pillow.

 _“Greyson._ Mommy is busy...you can go to sleep and I’ll join you later.”

Kyle rolls off of her and leans against the pillows next to her, turning to look at his phone on his side of the bed.

“Ames. Just go check on him.” He whispers to her.

“We were in the middle of something.” Amy reminds him with a whisper.

“I know you want to check on him.” He smirks at her, “Just go do it.”

“Mommy!” Greyson demands again, his hands striking against the bedroom door.

When she makes her way into the hallway, she’s met with Greyson whose sandy brown hair is disheveled and he’s clutching his favorite Spiderman toy.

“Why aren’t you asleep?”

“I miss Daddy,” he informs her. 

She’s been ingrained and focused on living in the now and taking care of Greyson that she completely forgets that he has a fucking father.

“Baby. I get that you miss your Dad but you need to go to sleep, you have school tomorrow. Remember?” she reminds him as they arrive in his bedroom and she places him on his bed.

Greyson pouts at that, sitting up from his pillow and beginning to play with his car shaped pillow.

“Can I talk to Daddy?” he pleads, clamoring into Amy’s lap, “Please, I’ll go to bed right after.”

She has to say no, it’s the only fucking option.

But when he looks at her with his Chris-like eyes, pleading for this one thing, she feels her heart slowly break much to her disappointment. 

She knows that if she calls Chris, Greyson will relax because, for some strange reason, his voice is the calmest thing he’s ever heard as much as Amy doesn’t want it to be true. 

So, she grabs Greyson’s tablet to facetime Chris and she watches as Greyson’s small body shakes in anticipation.

The longer the trills, the more Amy loses hope in him answering, It’s already midnight and there’s a good chance that Chris is balls deep in some underage college yuppie.

_“Slugger!”_

“Daddy!” Greyson all but shouts, his voice shooting up like a rocket which prompts Amy to shush him.

“How are you doing?” Chris scratches his now grey beard, offering a warm smile at the camera.

“I was sad because Mommy wouldn’t let me call you but now I’m happy because she let me call you.” Greyson burbles in childlike joy.

Fuck.

“She was probably looking out for you, Slugger. You do have school later in the morning.” Chris reminds him, his eyes briefly landing on Amy for a second.

Greyson looks up to Amy for confirmation and she shrugs her shoulders.

“I don’t wanna go to school.” he complains, “I want to see you and Nonna.”

“I know, Slugger.” Chris’ eyes breed with sadness and guilt, “But you have to. So you can grow up strong and smart like Sissy and your Mom.”

The two begin to talk about god knows what-ranging from a car Greyson saw on the Freeway to Chris promising a trip to Disneyland.

“Chris.” Amy looks into the frame, “We’ll talk about that later...just leave it alone for now.” she cautious of Greyson’s presence.

Chris rolls his eyes at that and redirects his attention back to Greyson and the two talk about god knows what for ages.

“I want to see you.” Greyson’s face falls into a pout, “Can you please come out here to see me?”

“I would but you have to ask Mommy, slugger.”

Fucker.

Greyson looks up at Amy with his Bambi-like eyes, his bottom lip trembling ever-so-slightly.

“Please, Mommy.” he blinks up at Amy, “I miss him.”

She has to tear her eyes away from Greyson’s because she knows if she looks at him for one more second, she’ll unfold and she knows that she can’t do it because if she does...she’s not safe anymore.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow.” she ruffles his hair, “Now say goodbye to your Dad, you need to go to sleep.”

Much against Greyson’s wishes, he musters out a weak goodbye to Chris and promptly breaks into tears the minute she hangs up the call and the room is silent. 

“What’s wrong?” Amy tries speaking calmly over her child’s loud sobbing.

“I want Daddy.” he covers his eyes with his small hands, “I miss him.”

“Greyson.” she tries to control him but he’s practically inconsolable at this point and he throws his beloved Spiderman plush against the wall, his face flaring up in red, “Greyson, calm down.”

“No!” he insists strongly, “I want Daddy!” he climbs off the bed to slam his tiny fist against his closet door, sending an echo through the room, “I don’t like you!”

For fuck’s sake.

Since Greyson’s getting older, he’s starting to develop a few traits of Chris that she just wishes he didn’t get and unfortunately, he’s picked up on Chris’s short temper and notable meltdowns.

“Greyson.” she tries to stay calm as she approaches him and pulls him away from the door, “Stop.”

“No!” he shrieks against Amy and thrashes against her angrily, “I want Daddy!” he stomps furiously. 

It was a good thing the kid was annoyingly adorable or else she would not have been able to tolerate this for much longer.

 “Scream one more time and I’m putting you on time-out,” she warns him with a calm voice

Greyson screams furiously and swings at Amy’s leg.

“That’s it.” Amy takes his hand and directs him to his seat on the other side of the room, facing him towards the wall, “Time-out.” 

“No!” Greyson insists as he fights against her, “I don’t wanna! I’m sorry!.” he whines strongly.

“Nope. Time-out time.” she places him in the seat facing the wall, “We don’t hit people, Greyson.”

She keeps him on time-out for a good five minutes, listening to his sobs and pleads for her to relieve him from his punishment early as she scrambles around his room and picks up the various toys he threw during his meltdown.

“Time for bed.” Amy lifts Greyson from the seat and brings him towards his bed.

He’s silent as she tucks him in quickly and watches as she locates his Spiderman toy and ruffles his hair one last time.

“Mommy?”

Amy sighs, turning around to retrieve his water bottle from the ground and placing it on his nighttime stand, “Yes, Grey?”.

“I’m sorry.”

“For..?” Amy encourages him, taking a seat on the bed.

“Hitting you.” he meekly responds.

She sighs and drops a kiss on the crown of his head, ruffling his hair as she stands up.

“It’s okay.” she takes a deep breath, “But you can’t do that. That’s not nice and it hurts my feelings when you act like that, okay?”

“Okay.” 

And with that, he’s out like a light.

She’s so fucking drained from his meltdown that she all but drags herself back into the bed and passes out. She sleeps for longer than she expects to because the time on her phone says that it’s ten-thirty in the morning and the house is silent.

That is until Kyle clamors into their room with a tray filled with pancakes, bacon, eggs and a Mimosa poured into a dramatically large flute.

“I told you I didn’t want anything for my birthday.” she rubs the sleep out of her eyes.

“Yeah, well...I didn’t listen to you for this one time.” he bends down to press a kiss on the crown of her head, “Go ahead, eat. You deserve it.” he encourages her.

So, that’s what she does and she loves every minute of it.

They spend the rest of the day making up for lost time-finally having sex, talking about god knows what, watching television and just enjoying each other’s company.

She’s never been fond of her birthday, it’s usually filled with disappointment and work but she's surprised to say that this one might be one of her favorites.

He even surprises her by taking her to dinner at one of her favorite restaurants and surprises her with a private Maison room at the Auberge du Soleil hotel for four nights and it’s quite literally heaven on earth.

For their second anniversary, they leave the kids back home with Meagan whose home for a few weeks and fly out to Napa to celebrate.

And it’s perfect timing because now, she can spring the whole house proposal on him and not seem like an idiot.

After they spend the first evening in their hotel room fucking on every exposed surface in the room they can find, they fuel up on Breakfast early in the morning and Amy has a driver take them to the house.

Upon arriving, Kyle is confused, wondering why she’s so goddamn giddy over an unidentified house that doesn’t belong to them.

“I think we should move here.” Amy looks him right in the eye as they stand in the middle of the living room area, “There are five bedrooms, six bathrooms, an office upstairs for you and downstairs for me, a wine cellar, pool and there’s a private elementary and middle school for the kids near here.”

“You don’t wanna live in DC, anymore?”

“I can’t.” she admits, “Not after...everything that’s happened especially in my house. Plus, I think I’m ready for a new start.”

In short, they purchase the house and begin the process of moving in not too long after.

And it’s great.

They finish moving into the house a few weeks before Thanksgiving and everything’s going so smoothly and perfectly that Kyle is happy.

But Amy knows that if something’s going good, it’s only a matter of time before something goes bad.

And indeed it does.

One particular Wednesday evening, a few days after Labor Day, Amy is helping the kids with their homework as Kyle is working on a case in his office upstairs and her phone buzzes.

And shit hits the fan in the form of Chris.

Chris did an official sit down interview with Access Hollywood professing his love for Amy and claiming that she’s ‘the one that got away’ and he’s determined to do everything to get her back.

Honestly, she finds the whole thing comical.

e thinks that by going on some tabloid-hungry television show for some ‘exclusive’ sit down interview, she’ll run right into his arms within a moment’s notice and forget everything he's ever done to her.

But Kyle doesn’t find it funny at all.

He’s quite pissed about it much to her surprise.

He does a good job hiding his anger as they eat dinner with the kids but, after they’ve put them both to sleep and their downstairs in the living room, he finally reveals his anger.

“Don’t tell me you find this funny.” Kyle turns to her after she’s made a joke about the whole thing.

She whips her head at him in confusion, “It is funny.”

“Well, I don’t think so.” 

“Then what do you want me to do about it? Put him on time-out?”

“He’s making a mockery out of me. The whole world thinks I’m your boy-toy or rebound because he won’t shut up about you.”

“You’re being dramatic.”

“How am I being dramatic?” he challenges her, abandoning his papers on the coffee table, “Becuase I have feelings about this, you’re calling me dramatic.” 

She slams the fridge door shut.

“If I don’t have a problem with it then you shouldn’t.” Amy reasons, “Besides, he’s doing this to piss you off.”

“You’re damn right he’s pissing me off.” Kyle throws his papers on the coffee table, his voice slightly rising, “Amy. This is fucking ridiculous.”

“You don’t think I know that already?” she feels the anger boiling at the pit of her stomach, “You don’t think I’m fucking exhausted of him and his obsession with me?”

“If you’re so tired of him talking about you, why don’t you do something about it?”

“It’s no use.” Her voice raises, “He’s doing this to get a reaction out of me and I can’t give it to him.” 

“What about me and my feelings about this? I’m just supposed to stay quiet and not do anything about it.”

“If I can do it then you should have no issue with it.” 

“Amy-”

“What?!” she screams at him, having enough of everything, “You want to sit here and tell me to feel sympathy for you because he hurt your fucking feelings?”

“It would be nice!” Kyle’s face flushes in red as he stands to his feet, his voice rising in anger, “I mean, throw me a fucking bone here, Amy. How am I supposed to feel when he’s all over everyone’s fucking television screens and talking about how much he loves you? I’m supposed to laugh?”

She can’t fucking believe this. 

“How do you think I felt when he was throwing me against the fucking wall in front of my kids?” she huffs out, “You think anyone gave me any fucking sympathy when he released ten different sex tapes of me?”

“I’m not saying you don’t deserve sympathy.” he throws his hands in the air.

“Then what are you trying to say?” she all but gives up trying to reason with him, “Are you trying to get me to confess that I love him or some shit?” 

“No.” his voice falters, “I don’t want that.”

“Then what do you want?” Amy challenges him, “Tell me whatever it is you fucking want so I can push all of my wants to the fucking side so I can fucking satisfy you.”

“I want you to want to be with me!” his voice cracks in the middle, “I feel like you’re ashamed to be with me because I’m not as rich or sexy or interesting as Chris is. How do you think the feeling of that makes me feel?”

“I didn’t move across the fucking country to not want to be with you!” she doesn’t hold back, “I’m with you because I want to be with you.”

“It just doesn’t feel like it. That’s all.” Kyle’s voice creaks in the middle, “And it fucking hurts, okay?”

She’s pissed off at this point so anything else Kyle says, she won’t hear because she can’t take it right now.

So watching him pick up his keys and storm out of their house is an unfortunate relief. 

Time slips past her quicker than she could’ve imagined because she’s awoken to the sound of her phone blaring off the hook and she’s scrambling her hands trying to locate the damn phone.

She’s half expecting it to be Kyle to ask her to bring up the garage door.

She certainly doesn’t expect it to be a fucking representative from the Queen of the Valley Emergency Center who informs her that Kyle was in an intense car crash and that he’s in the ER unconscious.

And her heart fucking shatters at that.

After quickly waking up Phoebe and informing her that she’s running an errand, she’s out of the house in ten minutes flat, driving her way down the empty streets of Napa like a bat out of hell.

Upon her arrival at the ER, she’s informed that Kyle is dealing with Cerebral Edema and it’s looking pretty bad.

So bad that they tell her to mentally prepare to say goodbye if this is the last time she ever sees him.. _.alive._

And it’s the toughest twenty-four hours she’s ever had to endure.

Seeing him hooked up with all kinds of wires and tubes breaks her fucking heart because this isn’t him.

He’s caring, emotional, funny, bright and warm and he’s none of those things now.

Phoebe is inconsolable; throwing herself against Amy and holding her tightly after she sees Kyle for the last time and Greyson is sad because the rest of the room is and he doesn’t understand what’s happening.

Luckily Kyle has an updated will in case of emergencies so, it takes off some pressure from her. It’s just so tough seeing him so vulnerable and broken like this when he was so happy and warm in the morning. He was so excited about building a fucking bookcase for her office that it was so adorable. 

She just wants that version of him back so bad.

She’s never thought of what her life would be like without him in it and she wasn’t ready to find out yet.

They’ve been at the hospital for a good eighteen hours and she’s certain that she’s losing her vision.

And when she sees Kyle’s surgeon walking near her slow and careful, she already knows what happened.

It’s a fucking miracle. 

He says all of these other words Amy has no idea means but it makes her breathe a sigh of relief.

He’s going to live.

The following months are possibly the roughest month of their relationship.

Since Kyle’s recovering from the surgery, Amy’s responsible for handling kids and their commitments on top of her schedule along all while keeping an eye on Kyle. 

She feels like she shouldn’t be complaining because this situation could’ve been a lot worse and Kyle could be lying in a casket but, that doesn’t mean it isn’t difficult. 

It’s hard as fuck.

One day, a few months later, she returns home from an impromptu business trip that required her to leave both Kyle and the kids in the hands of Natalie for the day, the house is empty.

It’s concerning because with two kids (and one of which being a rambunctious child such as Greyson) the house should be bustling with energy by now considering that it’s around 7 pm and the kids should be back from their days at school.

She’s about to lose her shit when she steps on what she assumes to be one of Greyson’s damn toys but when she moves her feet, she’s met with a rose petal.

And it’s not just one...it’s a multitude of fucking rose petals.

When she finally looks up from her phone, she’s met with the entire floor being covered into a line of red roses that lead to the outside gazebo.

After following the trail, she finds herself outside and sees Kyle standing under the gazebo with a table for two behind him.

“I take it you’re feeling better.” she gestures towards his clothes after they share a small kiss.

“I am.” he smiles at him, “And I’ll feel even better after this.”

“After what?” she takes a step back from him to inspect him carefully, unsure of what he’s hinting to.

She gets an idea though when he slides down to one knee and looks up at her with his eyes practically glowing.

“What are you doing?” she doesn’t even try to hide the surprise in her voice.

“I know you hate long speeches and extravagant gestures so I’ll spare you what I want to say and give you a condensed version of it. I love you more than life itself and I never want to not have you in my life ever again.”

She chokes out a laugh to cover the tears starting to slide down her face.

“Where are the kids?” she wipes away at her eyes.

“Natalie took them out for the evening.” he informs her, “They’ll be back tomorrow morning.” 

The ring is gorgeous. It’s a generous Emerald shaped diamond that’s at least 3 carats and it’s simple yet beautiful and she loves it.

“When did you get the ring?”

“A month after we started dating.” he informs her, “So...will you marry me?”

She pulls him in for a kiss and doesn’t hold anything back whatsoever.

She’s getting married to someone who loves her and...she’s happy about it.

She’s fucking happy about it.

* * *

_ Amy Brookheimer and Kyle Wescott are engaged! Click here to see the ring. _

Access Hollywood

_ Brookheimer announces engagement to acclaimed lawyer, Kyle Wescott, via Instagram with a post that now has over 2 million likes. _

CNN

_ "I love you to the moon and back and I'm so happy for you!" Meagan Brookheimer posts a tribute to her mother, Amy Brookheimer, after reports of her engagement to Kyle Wescott. _

Culture Shock!

_ Michael Kors announces clothing collaboration with Amy Brookheimer. The Designer also revealed that due to Ms. Brookheimer's request, all earnings from the line will be donated to her non-profit organization 'Project Brookheimer'. _

Harper's Bazaar

_Dear Chris Blake, we can't get Amy Brookheimer to like you. Please move on._

Blazer

_ Amy Brookheimer, all smiles in New York City with son, Greyson. _

Getty Images

_Michelle York, Lydia Parker, Toni Bilemmer are photographed at the Michael Kors Headquarters for Amy Brookheimer's wedding dress fitting in New York City._

Fashion Weekly

_ Michelle York throws Amy Brookheimer Mini-Bachelorette Dinner with others in New York City _

Daily Mail

_ Barbara Streisand announces that recent college grad, Meagan Brookheimer, will be taking over the role of Fanny Brice in the upcoming revival of Funny Girl. _

Broadway Business

_ “Meagan is a true talent and the perfect fit for Fanny. I’m quite excited for people to blown away by her talents the way I have.” Barbra Streisand speaks out about Meagan Brookheimer taking on the coveted role of Fanny Brice. _

Slate

_ Hello, Gorgeous (Times Two!). Barbra Streisand and Meagan Brookheimer on the cover of Billboard Magazine talk all things ‘Funny Girl’, Broadway and Who They Lookup To. _

Billboard Magazine

_ Amy Brookheimer: Her Story _

Paper Magazine 

Interviewed By: Michelle York

MY: How did you even get around to writing a book?

AB: (laughs) I have no fucking idea. I know that after the court hearings and everything, I found myself in a very dark space because I had basically gone through a public wringing for an entire year and just felt so overwhelmed with emotion that I didn’t know how to handle it. Eventually, I did go to a therapist, who was a great help, and they encouraged me to write things down and I used that as an outlet to release my frustrations then realized that I had enough to write a book.

MY: What convinced you to go through the process of turning it into an actual book?

AB: When you’re a victim (of abuse), only you and other people who have been abused know what that feeling is like. I know for me, personally, everyone kept belittling my situation and just telling me to leave as if it were simple at that and it wasn’t. There’s so much that happens around really distancing yourself from someone who abuses you that it can’t be taught overnight. And even though I don’t know everything in the world, what I can do is offer any advice to those who might need it.

MY: Do you think you’ll ever go into detail about what you went through with Greyson?

AB :(sighs) I’ve had to a few times already. Nothing too concerning or frightening but, I've explained that his Dad wasn't nice to me.

MY: One thing I love about you is that no matter how much Chris hurt you, you’ve never allowed yourself to sink to his level and try to hurt him back, especially with your kids in the picture.

AB: I feel like that’s what’s best. At the end of the day, what happened between us is settled and finished and it's important to me that is Greyson able to form his opinions about situations like these without me breathing down his neck.

_ BREAKING: Chris Blake, former Playboy, and White House Media Manager has been found dead in his Los Angeles residence. _

NBC Nightly News

* * *

In the morning, after she’s had the time to somewhat bring herself down after the news of Chris’s death hits her, she makes her way into Greyson’s room to tell him the truth.

Of all the times he chose to kill himself, he just had to have it the week of her wedding.

Only fucking Chris.

She spent the entire night just trying to feel some sort of emotion about all of this.

Sure, it’s a fucking tragedy of what happened to him..nobody deserves to die alone but, she’s just a tad bit concerned about how sad she isn’t.

Of course, him dying is a very sad thing but, she just doesn’t find it sad to her personally.

When she got the phone call from Chris’ Mom, she was shocked in all honesty, she never believed that Chris would willingly take his own life but, she can’t say it wasn’t anyone else’s’ fault but himself.

When she had told Meagan, she cried and screamed for it not to be true.

Her sobs only got worse when she realized that Amy was telling the truth and that Chris was gone.

So, she’s worried about Greyson’s reaction.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay telling him?” Kyle asks her one last time as they stand outside of Greyson’s bedroom, “I can come in if you want? For...moral support and shit like that.”

“Thanks but I’ll be fine.” she snuggles deeper into her robe, “If he hears it from anybody, I’d prefer for it to be me.” she gives a gracious smile to Kyle whose eyes widen at her in worry.

She twists open the door of the room and closing the door ever-so-slightly to avoid waking the sleeping boy up.

As she sits on his bed, her heart does this weird twisting thing where she feels like she could break down into tears at any moment.

His sandy hair is in a disarray on his pillow, his small lips are slightly parted and the room is filled with the slight sounds of him snoring and his faint breathing.

A small smile forms on her lips when she notices he’s wearing his favorite Spiderman pajama set and is holding onto his action figure for dear life.

She takes him in for a moment, watching him in his natural habitat before she tells him the news that could change his life forever.

Even though she had full custody of the kids, she still allowed Greyson to have a relationship with Chris’ parents since they were surprisingly supportive of her getting the kids away from Chris. So once a month, every time Greyson went to visit his Grandparents, she allowed Chris to see him as long as he attended his rehab sessions, his parents were supervising and it was at their house.

And much to her surprise, he abided her rules to see Greyson.

“Greyson.” she moves his arm gently, “Greyson, baby. Wake up.”

There’s a small moment when he stirs in his sleep gently and his eyelids flutter awake, revealing his almond-shaped eyes.

“Hi, Mommy.” he greets her, sitting up as he rubs the sleep out of his eye.

“Hi, baby.” she ruffles his hair, “How’d you sleep?”

He yawns slightly and continues to rub his eyes, his cheeks flushed with sleep.

“I had a dream that Daddy took me Go-Kart driving like he promised. It was fun,” he informs a now stoic Amy.

Jesus.

“That sounds...nice.” she grits out, taken aback by how much hearing that snaps her heart in half.

Greyson must notice how much that statement has affected her because he tilts his head to the side and blinks at her in confusion.

“Mommy? Are you okay?” he studies her intensely, his brow furrowing low.

She takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair, extending her hands out to Greyson.

“Grey.” she starts and already feels overwhelmed, “I have something important to tell you.”

“Is Sissy okay?”

“Sissy’s fine.” she watches as the boy pulls himself out from under his sheets and sits cross-legged on top of his unmade sheets, “It’s about Daddy.” 

“Is Daddy here?” Greyson instantly perks up.

“Grey, baby-”

“Can I not go to school today? Please, Mommy. Please.” he pleads harder than he’s ever had before, “I promise I’ll eat all of my food at Dinner!”

“Greyson, listen to me.” she puts a hand on his shoulders, “Your Dad is not here, okay? Listen to what I’m about to tell you.”

The boy gives a defeated sigh.

She starts and it hits her that at this moment, this child’s life will change in ways he’ll never understand, “Your Dad...died this morning back home.”

Greyson’s face freezes at that and he blinks at Amy in confusion.

“Died?” his voice is soft

Amy clears her throat and squeezes Greyson’s small hand with hers.

“Your Dad was really….sad and he decided that he didn’t want to be sad anymore so, he died.” 

It’s not like she can come out the gate and reveal that Chris sent a bullet right through his skull, as an adult woman, that alone was hard to hear.

“Why was he sad?”

“I don’t know, baby.” Amy’s voice is soft, “...He just got to a point where he didn’t want to be sad anymore.”

“I won’t see him again?” his voice is small and frail, all excitement and joy completely drained.

“No. You won’t.” 

And as she expected, he falls into a fit of tears and clamors into her lap, throwing his arms around her neck.

“It’s okay, baby.” she consoles him, keeping him close, “It’s okay…”

He sobs against her chest loudly, burying his wet face into her chest and wailing away at the top of his lungs.

She rubs his back smoothly in hopes to calm him down but it’s no use because he continues wailing without hesitation or desire to stop.

When she finally gets him to calm down after a good hour of rocking him back and forth, she’s able to get a tissue and wipe away the tears from his red-stained eyes.

“We’re going to go to Grandma’s house tomorrow and say Goodbye, okay?” Amy informs him, running a hand through his hair, “And Auntie Michelle is going to be there and Sissy too.”

Greyson wipes his tears at that and gives a weak nod, keeping his eyes low.

“I want Daddy!” he protests weakly, squeezing his Spiderman toy tighter than ever.

“I know baby, I know.” 

The rest of the day is harder than she can even imagine.

Her office phone and assistants are being hounded with people from the press begging for an official statement so they can print it out for the Afternoon news cycle, she’s dealing with some last-minute stuff for the wedding and she’s trying to keep tabs on Greyson (whose uncharacteristically silent).

Then Meagan and Michelle arrive fresh from the airport and Meagan’s more grief-stricken then Amy would like.

Meagan keeps herself in Greyson’s bedroom as Greyson wanders out, barefoot and wide-eyed looking for Amy.

“Hi, Grey.” Michelle bends down from the table as Greyson approaches her, demanding to be picked up, “Do you feel a little better?”

Greyson shakes his head and wraps his arms around Michelle’s neck, beginning to doze off

“He already had his will set up so, Anjelica’s one request is that I bring Greyson so they can officially say goodbye to him and vice versa.”

Michelle nods at that, “That seems easy.”.

The following morning, she, Michelle, Meagan and Greyson load into a private plane and touchdown in Los Angeles at around noon and head straight to the service.

And the minute they arrive at Chris’s parent’s house, she wants to cry.

Not in a grief way but as a sign of relief.

She’s sad because Greyson is visibly heartbroken about everything and she can’t be mad at him for it.

It’s a modest-sized crowd-not too small but certainly not too big. The house is filled with friends and family members of the Blake’s and she already knows that everyone has their fucking eyes on her. If she was alone, it wouldn’t be this bad but it’s especially worse because she has Greyson in tow and he’s the complete clone of Chris. They’re stopped by the occasional stranger who offers their condolences and takes a few minutes to fawn over Greyson and Meagan (who’s so not in the mood to be spoken to at all).

The ceremony itself is quite fast, there are a few words from both of his parents and his best friend Dylan and after that, it’s all over. 

“Auntie. I want Daddy.” Amy hears Greyson whisper to Michelle as he sits on her lap and it’s one of the saddest moments of the day.

“I know, Grey, It’s okay.” She hears Michelle console him and press a kiss on the crown of his head.

As they’re making their way out of the house directly after the ceremony, there’s a familiar name that calls out for her and it stops her in her tracks.

 _“Anjelica.”_ Amy offers a small smile.

Anjelica Blake is probably one of the most beautiful women she’s ever seen.

She has long dark hair, perfectly sculpted legs of a pure Amazonian woman and has the nicest bone structure she’s ever seen on a human being. 

“Amy. It’s so nice to see you again, thank you so much for coming out.” 

She takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair. 

“I figured it’d be best for Grey to say goodbye.”

And when Anjelica gets her eyes on Greyson, she can practically feel the sadness running through her veins. 

“Hi, Greyson.” she holds her arms out for Greyson, “How are you, my handsome boy?”

Greyson looks away from Michelle and up at his Grandmother, his small lips pursed into a pout.

“I miss Daddy,” he complains, burying his head into the crook of Michelle’s neck, hiding his tear. 

“I’m sorry.” Amy steps in, “He’s been having a rough day. He’s not used to being around so many people and not talking to Chris for a few days.”

“I understand. Honestly.” Anjelica offers a dismissive hand wave, “I was wondering if I could trouble you for a quick word in my office.”

Jesus.

She turns to Michelle who looks at her in confusion and finally speaks up.

“It’ll have to be quick because of the wedding and you have so many commitments this week.” Michelle plays along as Greyson continues to cry into her shoulder blade. 

Amy points a finger at Michelle, “Yes. I have a final dress fitting and everything.” 

“It’ll only take a second.” Anjelica offers once again, “Trust me, I don’t wanna keep you in this atmosphere any longer than you wish to stay.”

So, against her better judgment, she joins her in the office.

The whole conversation is weird because well, Amy’s partly the reason why her son killed himself and it’s not the best of icebreakers to lead off with.

They spend a few minutes skating around the mysterious subject of exactly what she wants to discuss with small talk that ranges from Greyson to the new lamps she’s gotten for her upstairs office.

Having had enough, she finally puts her foot down and demands her to tell her whatever it is she’s been meaning to. 

And she does it.

“You leaked the tapes.”

“Not the sex tapes.” Anjelica corrects her, “That was all Chris’ doing but, the tapes of him well...abusing you. I leaked to the public, yes.” 

And she’s at a loss for words.

All this time she thought it was fucking Dan and it wasn’t.

“Why the hell would you do something like that?” the anger seeps from her gut. “I mean, you could’ve fucking contacted me.”

“I could’ve.” Anjelica admits sadly, “And I beat myself up over the fact that I didn’t but, I did it because you needed help and I couldn’t betray my son by publically helping you.”

“You still could’ve reached out to me.” Amy doesn’t back down, “If you cared that much, you could’ve fucking reached out and told me this. I would’ve kept this a secret.”

“I know. I know.” she holds her hands up, “And I apologize for it. You didn’t deserve it and I was a fucking idiot for hurting you like that.”

She takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair.

“Thanks.”

The room is quiet until Anjelica clears her throat and places her glass on the wooden desk.

“I need to tell you one more thing, Amy.” the woman’s voice is slow, “However you choose to react. I completely understand.”

_Jesus._

“That model, Mary-Beth Hanes, recently informed me that she and Chris share a three-month-old son, C.J and I figured it would be best for you to know before the public finds out.”

God, only Chris. 

“I don’t care” Amy folds her arms over her chest, keeping her voice straight.

Anjelica turns around as she scrolls through her phone and pushes the phone towards Amy once she lands on an image.

“You should. I’ve made the steps to officially remove Chris from our family will, there’s no way there’ll be  anything to leave to C.J but I already know that the woman is going to fight for our scraps.” 

She can’t respond because she’s astounded by how much the kid looks like both Chris and Greyson. The sandy brown tuft of hair resting on his head, his baby blue almond eyes, the strong jawline, and sweet smile.

She pushes the phone back into Anjelica’s hands and takes a step back from her.

“Thank you for your service but...I’m done.”

“Done with what?”

“Your family.” Amy enunciates, “For the past few years you, Parker and Chris have made my life a living fucking hell and I’m sick of it. Thanks for the invite but this is the last time you’ll ever see me and the kids ever again.” 

And with that, she turns on her heels, meets up with the kids and Michelle and make their way back to Napa.

She’s officially done with the Blake family.

And she's not looking back anymore.

* * *

It’s not until Amy is standing in front of everyone, under the altar and the Pastor instructs the two of them to go through with the vows that he realizes just how real this whole set-up is. 

She’s actually getting married to someone who isn’t him.

“Amy.” Kyle starts off, his voice starting off at such an emotional octave it makes Dan slightly uncomfortable. 

“There aren’t enough words in the English language or really any language for me to express how much I love you. When I met you, 2,628,000 minutes ago, I knew that I couldn’t go another minute of my life without you. I could stand here and ramble on and on about just how beautiful you are but there’s so much more to you than that. You are hilarious, loyal, passionate, riveting and one of the best texters I’ve ever met. I promise to love you from now until the end of time with more love than the previous day. I promise to look at you every day as if I’ve seen you for the first time 2,628,001 minutes ago. I promise to stop hogging the blankets in bed because I know it irks the living shit out of you. I promise to make you laugh whenever you feel the desire to cry. And most importantly, I promise to buy you your Almond Croissant and Honey Citrus Mint Tea from Starbucks for you whenever you wake me up at seven in the morning and demanding to be fed. You’re not only the love of my life but you’re also my safe space. You remind me that it’s okay to mess up and not be perfect all the time when my anxieties try to convince me otherwise. Thank you for not only loving me but allowing me to love you. I promise to never take this privilege for granted because you deserve all of the love in the world and I am ready to provide it to you.”

And that’s all he needs to know to realize just how much this fucking nerd adores Amy.

The way he looks at her talks about her, it’s like he’s a lost puppy and it’s so pathetic Dan doesn’t know whether to laugh or cry about it. 

(Since he’s in public and doesn’t want to get thrown out by Amy, he just stays quiet and keeps his thoughts to himself.)

He didn't want to come to this wedding and he has a feeling that Amy didn't, considering the fact that she didn't even forward an invitation to him.

The only reason why he's even here is that Meagan practically dragged him out of the house and demanded that he be her plus one and while he could've (and tried) to deny her request, he figured it would be easiest to watch the shitshow unfold.

But when he gets there, it's anything but a shitshow.

It's unfortunately, one of the most genuine and nicest ceremonies he's been to in a long time and that's saying a lot considering the fact that he was forced to accompany Meagan at a fucking pet charity event not too long ago (one of the perks of being a manager to an up and coming Broadway star such as his daughter).

There isn't much between him and Amy anymore.

They barely speak as is and he's certain that the last time they actually saw one another was a few months ago when they both unintentionally visited Meagan in New York and decided to go out to brunch as a whole versus taking Meagan out on two different occasions on the same day. Even then, they barely spoke to one another-their few conversations were short and to the point.

He's relieved it didn't go south though.

Even though he'll always have a hard-on for turning Amy's gears, he's kinda content on her not hating him as much as she used to.

She's even unblocked him from all of her social media accounts which is a huge step for her.

He's busy thinking of a route to escape during the reception or something before she notices him because he wants to remain as hidden as possible and just not be seen by anyone else if he can help it.

But, Meagan fucking insists that he stick around for god knows what because there's somebody he just  _has_ to meet and it's driving him crazy.

If anyone should be leaving it's Meagan; she's got a Broadway debut to prepare for and she'll never be ready if she keeps guzzling down an assortment of sugary juices and desserts. 

"For fuck's sake, Meaga-"

 _"Daddy."_ Meagan's emerald dress shines under the light of the reception hall, "This is my boyfriend, Maverick Carter." 

Shitting hell.

When he blinks, he's met with a tall, dark-skinned guy who is practically towering over Meagan (which says a lot cause she got his height) and is decked out in the nicest pieces of gold jewelry he's ever seen.

Obviously, after finding out about this asshole, he did a thorough search on him to ensure that he wasn't a grimy asshole looking to mooch off of Meagan's success and fortune and the results were precise enough to draw a firm conclusion but despite this, he still landed on one. 

He didn't like the guy.

Yes, he'll admit that he  _seems_ impressive from a distance.

A young black guy from the pits of Oakland majoring in Theory and Composition of Music at NYU and being nominated for a Grammy before his 21st birthday is certainly an accomplishment but there are...other flags.

Getting Meagan pregnant for one, having a concerning amount of tattoos stamped across his body was flag two and oh yeah, the fact that he's a goddamn rapper was the bright red flag for Dan.

"Mr. Egan. It's a real honor to meet you, Sir." Maverick holds a hand out for him to shake.

 _"Likewise..."_ he's so taken aback by everything that he's due for heading to the bar and getting another Vodka. 

"I'm gonna go chat with Aunt Michelle, she has our room keys. I'll be back." and with that, Meagan leaves them alone.

And Dan takes it as his opportunity to do what he does best.

"So,  _Maverick..._ you're still in that whole.. _rap_ thing right?"

"Yes, Sir." Maverick nods, "I'm currently working on my next album but since Meagan's opening is fastly approaching, I'll be putting it on the back burner so I can be there for her and help her out with anything she needs. Speaking of which, I was wondering if you could help me with something?"

He swears to god if this fucker pulls out a diamond-encrusted engagement ring.

"Well, we're looking to move in somewhere new and I don't trust any of the NYC real estate agents. Would you mind helping me look for a few places, I figured it would be better I just go find a place rather having Meagan have a panic attack over finding a place and opening a Broadway show as a lead for the first time ever."

Fuck, this kid's smart.

If there's anything he's realized it's that men fucking suck and a good sum of them are absolute trash but, he'd rather have his daughter be with someone decent like Maverick than some fucking asshole.

So, he tells the kid he'll consider it and he holds up to his word.

He does only want the best for his daughter anyway.

* * *

When she hears the opening chords of ‘It Had to Be You’ on the piano, she realizes that it’s time for her and Kyle’s first dance.

It’s crazy.

It’s crazy how after all these years, she’s finally getting what she wanted in the most unexpected way possible.

She went from her boyfriends in college to Ed, Dan, Chris and is now with Kyle and she plans on keeping it that way forever. 

Funny how shit turns out.

She’s lucky that her Mom was still around to see her actually do the whole song and dance of getting married and she doesn’t exactly blame her for wanting to see it. 

When she goes...and it’ll be one day soon, unfortunately, she’ll like to know that Amy is taken care of in some way.

Yes, Amy can good and well take care of herself but, having someone by your side to help you with a load of life wasn’t too bad of a thing.

Especially if you loved said person.

“How are you doing in those heels?” Kyle beams down at her as he wraps an arm around her waist, keeping her close to his body.

“They’re killing me but I’ll live.” she shrugs nonchalantly, “I didn’t want to put on heels but I didn’t want to be shorter than you.”

“You’re shorter than me with heels on,” he smirks at her, earning a slight slap on his bicep from her as they continue to dance.

“You know what I mean, asshole.”

She places her head against his chest, enjoying the vibrations of his heartbeat and sighing to herself when she sees the scene surrounding them.

Their wedding guests all smiling at them, the photographer taking photos of them and just feeling the heartbeat against her chest warmly.

“Are you happy?” she blinks up at him.

“Deliriously.” he smiles down at her, “You didn’t see me cry when I saw you in your dress for the first time?”

And fuck, that warms her heart right the fuck up.

She focuses on trying to have a good day because well, it's her wedding day and it's been a long fucking time since she's been able to just live in the moment and enjoy what's going on but, something's eating alive at her and it's bothering her.

"Mom, go talk to him." Meagan encourages her after she stops by to check in on her. 

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Dad." Meagan blinks at her in confusion, "I mean, you don't have to have sex with him by any means, just...go say goodbye."

"Goodbye?" she blinks at Meagan in confusion, "He's just going back home."

"In California." Meagan keeps Greyson busy by playing with his hands, "He's moving to Palm Springs next week."

She must zone out for longer than she expects because she's shaken back to reality by Meagan shaking her arm and calling her name repetitively.

She tries to let this go for the rest of the evening but, the feeling just doesn't go away.

And there's only one thing she can do.

After the dinner is served, she pulls Michelle to the side and asks her to help her escape the venue without being seen (thanks to the lingering Paparazzi outside, she knows that one shot of her leaving the wedding without Kyle would be enough for the tabloids to run with some bullshit 'Runaway Bride' story.)

To cover her bases, she also pulls Kyle to the side to tell him what she's planning on doing because well if they're doing this thing for real, she wants to start off this marriage with no skeletons in the closet.

"It's okay. I trust you." Kyle presses a kiss on the crown of her head before Michelle and one of the male security guards have her exit through the backdoor that leads to a tunnel right at the venue's transportation service. Luckily, she's changed into her reception dress and it's much smaller than her ceremony dress and she doesn't have to drag herself through the dirt.

Eventually, she arrives to where Dan is waiting for his ride and she takes a deep breath.

Well, here goes nothing.

When he finally notices her, his eyebrows raise in surprise and his eyes widen at her life she's some animal whose escaped the fucking zoo and the expression he makes is quite laughable. 

"What the fuck are you-?"

"Relax, Spock. I'm here to apologize."

Dan's taken aback by her revelation.

_"Apologize?"_

She takes a deep breath and sighs, "Yeah... _apologize."_

Dan actually laughs at that gently. taking a second to move his aviators from his eyes and sliding them into his coat pocket.

There's a moment when they awkwardly stare at one another, the two of them both distracting themselves with an article of their clothing and keeping their eyes down.

"I know that you weren't the one who leaked the tapes...and I'm  _sorry_ that I blamed you for it. I guess I just had all of this pent up aggression towards you for a while and I hated the fact that Meagan adored you after she first met you and...I didn't even give you a chance to explain yourself."

Dan sighs at that and runs a hand through his hair. 

"The thing between me and Candi was fucked up of me to do." Dan admits slowly, "Had I known that it would've erupted into all of this shit I probably would've steer cleared of her."

When she looks at him, it's like she sees the entire history of them in his eyes in an odd way.

The ups, downs, trials, and tribulations in all it's glory and it makes her realize just how much she misses Dan.

Not this twisted, inhumane version of Dan that abandoned her when she was pregnant with Meagan all those years ago but, the one who was a dick but still mildly a somewhat decent human.

She doesn't know where that version of Dan went but she sure as hell wants him back.

What's sad is that now, he's starting to replicate that version of himself when she's no longer interested in him anymore.

Had he acted like this, all those years ago, then maybe they could've worked things out.

But, he didn't and for that reason, she moved on.

It'll always be tough for her to not think about those days when he would look at her like she was the only competent women in the room (and at times she likes to think she was) and how his eyes always sparkled whenever they successfully pulled the impossible off together.

But again, they don't have that anymore.

And she's fine with that.

Sure, having two kids with two different men (both of whom she's not with) wasn't how she imagined her life but, it's what she got and it made no sense bitching and complaining about it for the rest of her life if the end result is her kids.

"Amy Brookheimer, the married woman." 

 _"Brookheimer-Wescott."_ she dusts off her sleeve, "I'm taking Kyle's last name."

"ABW would make a nice collection name for that big Michael Kors collaboration."

Fuck, that is a good suggestion.

They talk for a little bit longer and before she knows it, his car pulls up near them and it dawns on her that he's leaving, this time for good and she's not going with him.

Even though they haven't been together in ages, it still felt weird.

Whenever she sees him, she still feels like they need to get in a car and head to the EEOB to clean up whatever mess Selina's made.

But, that's not their lives anymore....it's far from it.

He must realize it too because his eyes are stuck on the car for a brief second and she can tell he's unsure of what to say next, it makes her feel good because she likes seeing him unprepared, it reminds her that he's a fucking human.

"Well. I guess this is goodbye."

Oh Dan, Dramatic fucking Dan.

How she's missed this.

"Don't be dramatic, doofus." she rolls her eyes, "We'll see each other again, soon."

 _"Oh?"_ Dan smirks as the Driver opens the door for him and returns to the Driver's seat.

"Not in that way." she rolls her eyes, "But maybe...you can help me find a few locations for my new office. I need a high rise with at least two conference rooms."

Dan nods at that and gives a smile.

"We'll keep in touch, Brookheimer."

 _"Brookheimer-Wescott._ " she corrects him once again, not letting it slide.

"Yeah, yeah." he playfully waves his hand and slides into the backseat of the car, "We'll keep in touch."

"Yeah, we'll keep in touch." she tucks a strand of her hair behind her ear.

And she watches the car pull away from the lot and there's a relief coming off of her shoulders.

As she's making her way back to the venue, she can't help but think how far she's came in the past few years.

The road was tough, bumpy, windy, uncomfortable, scary and fucking hard but, she made it and she's actually proud of herself.

When she comes back to the venue, Kyle's there waiting for her and she automatically pulls him down for a slow kiss.

"Everything okay? You need anything?"

"No." she shakes her head, soaking in the environment, "I'm fine."

When she looks up at him, his eyes looking down at her like she's the only woman in the world, she knows that she's made the right decision.

"I love you," he whispers against her lips, keeping her close to his body.

"I love you too," she responds, not being able to contain her smile.

Yeah, she's in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave a comment!
> 
> It's both heavily appreciated and greatly encouraged!


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